Lubukbasung (ANTARA) - A medang tree (Litsea Sp) with a giant diameter of 4.6 meters, a circle of 14 meters and a height of 34 meters, thrives in the people's forest of Nagari Koto Malintang, Tanjungraya District, Agam Regency, West Sumatra.
Forest Ecosystem Controller of the West Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), Ade Putra, said that the location of the medang tree is about one kilometer from the local community settlement.
"This is the largest tree that I found in West Sumatra, because in the Panti forest reserve, Pasaman Regency is only 2.5 meters in diameter and 26 meters high with the type of meranti. It is possible that this medang wood is one of the largest in the world," he said.
In the forest, he and his team found dozens of trees with a diameter of over one meter which were dominated by durian trees.
"We also found protected animals such as bears, deer, forest goats, hornbills and others," he said.
Ade expressed his appreciation of local wisdom from the local community in maintaining forest, so that the trees are large.
He hopes that this local wisdom is maintained and exemplified by other communities, so that all trees in the West Sumatra forest are large.
Meanwhile, Wali Nagari Koto Malintang, Naziruddin said that in the forest there were six large medang tree species with an age of about 160 years.
"We have guarded and maintained this tree for hundreds of years, because it produces water," he said.
Because this giant tree, we received the Kalpataru 2013 environmental saving award from the Ministry of Environment.
President of the Republic of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was immediately handed this gift.
In the future, the tree will be used as a tourist destination for special interest to increase the income of the surrounding community.
"I targeted the location will be a tourist destination and I have provided about five hectares of land around the location to support this target," he said. (*)
Transleted by: Mutiara Ramadhani
In Nagari Koto Malintang Agam forest there is a giant tree
Giant tree in Agam. (ANTARA / Yusrizal)
