Sulawesi is one of the major islands in Indonesia that produces forest rattan products (natural rattan) in a quite large quantity. One of the provinces that have the potency of natural rattan is Southeast Sulawesi Province. This rattan potency was proven through a research conducted by Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), Bogor, with the title “The Diversity and Potency of Flora in North Buton Wildlife Conservation, Southeast Sulawesi”.

In the region of the North Buton Wildlife Conservation there are several types of rattan with enormous potency, those species of rattan, which are; tohiti rattan (Calamus inops), lambang rattan (C. ornatus var. Celebicus), and batang rattan (C. zollingeri). Of the three types, two of them are North Buton Wildlife Conservation endemic rattan, in other words they are endemic rattan species of Southeast Sulawesi and certainly they are endemic (local/original) plant of Indonesia.

In general, Buton people use rattan as a household need that has been practised for generations, as seen from the household tools / furniture that exist almost in every home. Rattan is also commonly used by Buton people as a rope to tie the agricultural products from the farm, wicker basket as a container for agricultural products, and the most common, rattan mats used by the people as a cushion to be placed in the house.

The diameter of rattan commonly used by the people varies greatly, depending on the needs and the purpose of the products to be made. In general, batang rattan (C. zollingeri) is very enthused by the local people of Buton, where batang rattan has a larger diameter compared to other types of rattan, in addition batang rattan also has a better strength compared to other types of rattan.

Buton people needs for the existing rattan is still very balanced with the availability of rattan in the forest region of North Buton especially in the Wild Animal Conservation, but the acceleration of the needs/market demand and the availability must be balanced with the preservation that is done by the community. Preservation for rattan existence can be done by cultivating or planting rattan in the plantation or forest areas which still have open lands.

Rattan, which becomes one of several biological diversities contained in the forest area, is important to be protected because people’s needs for it are enormous, creates a greater role of society for rattan protection through both the system of customary law or the formal law in village governance. (rb/anis)