MANSUR & SIREGAR
GENETIC COURSES IN IPB
Integrating Genetics Courses in the Curriculum of
Undergraduate Programmes at Bogor Agricultural
University-Indonesia
I. MANSUR AND I.Z. SIREGAR1
Department of Silviculture
Faculty of Forestry
Bogor Agricultural University
PO Box 168 Bogor 16680 Indonesia
E-mail:irdikam@telkom.net; siregar@ipb.ac.id
1 Introduction
Bogor Agricultural University is a university specialized itself on agricultural in
broad sense. It is situated in Bogor, a small city 40 km south of the capital city of
Indonesia, Jakarta. The university was initiated in 1940 as School of Agriculture, and in
1950 become the Faculty of Agriculture as part of the University of Indonesia. Briefly,
in 1963 the Faculty of Agriculture has become an independent university, i.e. Bogor
Agricultural University (IPB) with 5 faculties (Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of
Veterinary Medecine, Faculty of Fisheries, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, and Faculty of
Forestry). Currently, IPB has 36 Departments organized within 9 faculties. With total
students reaching more than 25000 and lectures 1246, made IPB the biggest agriculture
based university in Indonesia, and probably in Asia and even in the world.
Enhancement of plant production has become the major issue in the teaching,
research and community development activities in IPB.
Therefore, plant and tree
breeding and cultivation technology have been continuously developed in the university
and delivered to students as well as community. Among faculties in IPB, Faculty of
Forestry is the one responsible for the development of silviculture, including tree
improvement. Current forestry situation in Indonesia has urged the Faculty of Forestry to
form a new department, i.e. Department of Silviculture this year (2005) to work more
focus on silviculture. This paper will describe briefly the current situation of Indonesian
forest and its relevance to the integration of Genetics courses at IPB in general, and
especially at Department of Silviculture.
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GENETIC COURSES IN IPB
2 Current Situation of Indonesian Forest
Degradation of natural forest in Indonesia has reached an alarming level, which
has been stated by the ministry of forestry in different occasion as high as 46.2 million
hectares with annual rates of 2.8 hectares. According to the Information Center Office of
the Ministry of Forestry, the national timber production is 32,951,431 m3. Timber
supply from the timber estate (industrial forest plantation) has exceeded that from the
natural forest, i.e. 14.3 million m3 from plantation forest compared with 5.9 million
hectares from natural forest. Surprisingly, timber production from community forest
(859,142 m3) and other sources, such as conversion of rubber plantation (204,406 m3)
have exceeded timber production of the state forest company, Perum Perhutani (80,080
m3). Since 2003 the government of the republic of Indonesia has launched the national
program of afforestation and reforestation (National Movement on the Land and Forest
Rehabilitation) with target planting of 300000 hectare per year.
The current situation of forest in Indonesia has brought concern on the threat of
species and genetic diversity in Indonesia. The lost of natural forest causing the lost of
tree species, especially the commercial ones.
Logging activities (legal and illegal),
mining, forest fire, and conversion of natural forest area for other purposes, such as
plantation forest, palm oil and rubber plantation, also settlements contributed to the
natural forest destruction.
Transformation of the natural forest to become monoculture or multiculture forest
with only few selected species will reduce species and genetic diversity significantly.
Establishment of huge area of plantation forest is expected to compensate the progressive
diminishing timber production from the natural forest.
Minimum understanding
awareness of field foresters and forestry policy makers on genetic resources could result
in the establishment of monoculture plantation forests with narrow genetic base.
Introduction of vegetative propagation of commercial tree species through tip cuttings
and tissue culture from only few mother trees will even genetic diversity of the species in
the future.
MANSUR & SIREGAR
GENETIC COURSES IN IPB
3 Establishment of Department of Silviculture
Silviculture has become part of the Department of Forest Management since the
Faculty of Forestry was established. However, realizing the future forest in Indonesia is
depending on the managing the existing natural forest sustainably and boosting the
plantation forest (industrial timber estate and community forest), silviculture need to be
separated from the Department of Forest Management. The newly formed department is
expected to work (education, research, and community service) more focus on
silviculture system for natural forest and science and technology to support the
establishment of plantation forest.
The establishment of the Department of Silviculture was coincided with the
reformation of curriculum and reorganization of department and faculty. Faculty of
Forestry which was consisted of only 3 departments, i.e. Department of Forest
Management, Department of Forest Product Technology and Departmen of Forest
Conservation, now has one additional department, i.e. Department of Silviculture.
The assignment of silviculture as a Department has several advantages. Firstly,
the department could offer more courses on forest biophysics. Therefore, the graduates
could deal with forest more professionally. Secondly, the department could formulate its
competence more focus. Thirdly, topics on research and community service could be
planned and promoted more effectively.
Accordingly, financial, facilities and
infrastructures would be provided equally with other departments in IPB.
4 The Structure of Curriculum
4.1 General structure of IPB curriculum
Until 2005, IPB followed national curriculum structure that is study programme
system, where it is applied nationally. In year 2000 IPB with three other universities,
University of Indonesia, Gajah Mada University, and Bandung Technology Institute has
become an autonomous university, which are allowed the universities to optimized their
potentials to achieve academic excellent.
Following the curriculum structure of IPB, it is known as major-minor curriculum
system which contains four groups of courses. First group is known as matriculation
MANSUR & SIREGAR
GENETIC COURSES IN IPB
courses which are delivered to all first year students of IPB. Second group is called the
interdepartmental courses. These courses are essential to support the competence of
students graduated from a particular department.
These courses are provided by
departments with relevance competence. Therefore, this group of courses, which is
compulsory to be taken by students in a department, may be served by some different
departments.
The third group is the major courses that are provided by the home department
and should be taken by students registered to the department. These courses are the main
courses which develop the competence of the students.
The fourth group is the
minor/supporting courses, i.e. courses which are part of the major courses but available
for students from other departments. It is called minor courses if it is consisted of a
formulated courses to develop an additional competence to the students taking the
courses. Supporting courses are elective courses that are picked by students to support
their major courses.
4.2. Curriculum of Department of Silviculture
As part of IPB, the Department of Silviculture has also developed a major-minor
curriculum to fulfill the mandate given by IPB, i.e. to develop science and technology to
manage the natural forest and to establish and manage plantation forest. The main
differences between the courses offered by Study Programmes of Silviculture (under the
Department of Forest Management) and the Department of Silviculture are the number of
compulsory courses on biophysics increased significantly (from 33% to 42.4% of 144
total credits to get a BSc degree) and broader elective courses, as minor or supporting
courses are available (the elective courses could possibly be taken from all other
departments in IPB, 36 departments).
Before year 2000 Forest Genetics course was part of Tree Improvement course;
therefore, understanding of graduates on forest genetic was minimum. Between year
2000-2005, Forest Genetics course has become a stand alone course, but placed as an
elective course.
During this period competition of courses to become compulsory
courses were very tight since too many courses were offered. In the meantime, the
students needed only 144 credits to graduate. Since Forest Genetics course is an elective,
MANSUR & SIREGAR
GENETIC COURSES IN IPB
the graduate may or may not understand and aware about the important of considering
genetic resources in forest establishment and management. This situation, certainly
worrying the future forest of Indonesia. Mother trees in the natural forest will not be
considered as precious assets of the nation, and plantation forests may be dominated by
few clones only.
In the reformation of curriculum, considering the priceless genetic resources left
in Indonesian forest, the Department of Silviculture has placed Forest Genetics course as
a compulsory course for students of the department, and so does the Tree Improvement
course. It was obvious that the offering of Forest Genetics course in the pass was mainly
to support tree improvement programmes. Now it is also needed to promote the need of
genetic conservation for sustainable forest management. Table 1-3 shows the current
curriculum of the Department of Silviculture which will be applied to students enrolled at
IPB in year 2005 and choose the major of silviculture in year 2006.
The Department of Silviculture offer courses on Forest Genetics, and Tree
Improvement. However, students interested in Forest Genetics and they want to broaden
their knowledge on genetics and its application, they could attend courses offered by
other Departments, such as courses on Basic Genetics, and Introduction to Molecular
Genetics offered by the Department of Biology, and Genetics for Plant Improvement, and
Applied Plant Improvement courses offered by the Department of Agronomy and
Horticulture as supporting courses.
Table 1. Matriculation courses compulsory for all first year students of IPB
No.
Course Title
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Introduction to Math
Calculus
Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Indonesian Language
English
Sport and Art
Religion
Civics
Credits
Lecture Practical
works
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
0
2
1
1
0
2
1
2
1
Department
Responsible
Mathematics
Mathematics
Chemistry
Biology
Physics
General Courses
General Courses
General Courses
General Courses
General Courses
MANSUR & SIREGAR
11.
12.
13.
14.
General Economics
General Sociology
Introduction to Agriculture Sciences
Entrepreneurships
Total credits
GENETIC COURSES IN IPB
2
1
2
1
2
0
1
0
26
10
36 (25%)
ND*
ND
ND
ND
Note: * ND= not decided
Table 2.
No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Interdepartmental courses compulsory for students of the Department of
Silviculture offered by other departments in IPB
Course Title
Credits
Department
Lecture Practical Responsible
works
Introduction to Forestry Science and
2
0
Forest
Environmental Ethics
Management
Statistical Methods
2
1
Statistics
Structure and Wood Characteristics
2
0
Forest Products
Forest Harvesting
2
1
Forest
Management
Soil Science
2
1
Soil and Land
Resources
Conservation of Natural Resources
2
0
Forest
Conservation and
Ecotourism
Basic Forest Resource Inventory
2
1
Forest
Management
Forest Policy and Regulations
2
0
Forest
Management
Forest Resource Economics
2
0
Resource and
Environmental
Economics
Climatology
2
1
Geophysics and
Meteorology
Forest Planning
2
1
Forest
Management
Research Methodology
1
1
Statistics
Computer Application
1
0
Computer
Science
24
7
Total credits
31 (21.5%)
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GENETIC COURSES IN IPB
Table 3. Major courses compulsory for students of the Department of Silviculture
No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
Course Title
Credits
Lecture Practical
works
Dendrology
2
1
Forest Ecology
2
1
Forest Protection
2
0
Silvics
2
0
Forest Genetics
2
0
Forest Influence
2
1
Forest Syn-ecology
2
0
Ecology of Tropical Tree Species
2
0
Forest Nutrient Management
2
0
Forest Fire
2
1
Forest Tree Propagation Technology
2
1
Tree Improvement
2
1
Forest Pest Science
2
1
Forest Pathology
2
1
Natural Forest Silviculture
2
1
Plantation Forest Silviculture
2
1
Agroforestry
2
1
Forest Health Monitoring
2
1
Field work on Observation of Forest
0
1
Ecosystems
Field work on Forest Management
0
2
(Plantation Forest)
Field work on Forest Management
0
3
(Natural Forest) or Community
Services
Seminar of Final Year Project
1
0
BSc Thesis
6
0
43
18
Total credits
61 (42.4%)
Department
Responsible
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Silviculture
Department of Silviculture offered three minor courses to students from other
departments who are interested in studying silviculture, agroforestry, and forest
protection. There are 5 courses offered for minor silviculture, i.e. Forest Syn-ecology,
Silvics, Plantation Forest Silviculture, Natural Forest Silviculture, and Tree
Improvement. Meanwhile minor agroforestry offered 5 courses, such as Silvics, Ecology
of Tropical Tree Species, Plantation Forest Silviculture, Agroforestry, and Forest
MANSUR & SIREGAR
GENETIC COURSES IN IPB
Nutrient Management. Lastly, minor forest protection offered 5 courses, i.e. Forest Pest
Science, Forest Pathology, Forest Fire, Forest Influence, and Forest Health Monitoring.
5 Conclusion
Genetic resources of Indonesian forest are under threat by lost of natural forest
and establishment of plantation forest with tend to use possibly narrower genetic base
planting materials.
Knowledge and awareness of field foresters and forestry policy
makers on genetics need to be improved to save the existing genetic resources and to
improve genetic quality of the future plantation forest. Bogor Agricultural University,
especially the Department of Silviculture has responded correctly on the needs to produce
foresters with higher understanding and awareness on forest genetic resources.
6 References
Anonimous. 2005. Draft of Major-Minor Curriculum.
Faculty of Forestry IPB. Bogor (unpublished)
Department of Silviculture,
Ministry of Forestry. 2005. Eksekutif Data Strategis Kehutanan Tahun 2004.
Departemen Kehutanan. Jakarta. http://www.dephut.go.id/INFORMASI (25
October 2005)