EKSPLORASI KUTU PUTIH DI WILAYAH IKN DAN SEKITARNYA OLEH TIM PENELITI UNIB, BRIN DAN UNMUL
(THE RESEARCHERS of UNIB, BRIN AND UNMUL EXPLORE MEALYBUGS IN THE IKN AREAS)
The Research and Innovation Team for Advanced Indonesia Expedition (RIIM Expedition) at Bengkulu University, BRIN and Mulawarman University have carried out the first phase of a series of expeditions in the period from 14 to 27 July 2024. The research team headed by Prof. Agustin Zarkani, S.P., M.Sc., Ph.D has taken 500 mealybug samples from 32 plants spread across the IKN area and its surroundings. Interestingly, some samples of these mealybugs were taken from Kayu Ironwood, a plant endemic to Kalimantan. Head of the Paser Regency Environmental Service, Mr. Achmad Safari, S.P., M.Si. really welcomed this expedition team and provided full access to explore mealybugs on endemic plants that live in the Lati Petangis Forest Park, Paser Regency. “We would be very happy if there was a team of researchers from universities and BRIN who wanted to carry out an evaluation of biodiversity in the Lati Petangis area,” said the Head of the Environment Agency. Further exploration will be focused on the IKN Region which consists of 54 administrative areas at village or sub-district level with details of 11 villages and 4 sub-districts in Sepaku District, 4 villages and 19 sub-districts in Samboja District, 5 villages in Loa Janan District, 2 villages in Loa Janan District Loa Kulu, 8 villages in Muara Jawa District, and 1 village in Sanga Sanga District.
Team Riset dan Inovasi untuk Indonesia Maju Ekspedisi (RIIM Ekspedisi) Universitas Bengkulu, BRIN dan Universitas Mulawarman telah melakukan rangkaian ekspedisi tahap pertama dalam rentang waktu 14 s.d 27 Juli 2024. Tim riset yang diketuai oleh Prof. Agustin Zarkani, S.P., M.Si., Ph.D ini telah mengambil 500 sampel kutu putih dari 32 tanaman yang tersebar di wilayah IKN dan sekitarnya. Menariknya, beberapa sampel kutu putih ini diambil dari Kayu Ulin, tanaman endemik Kalimantan. Kepala Dinas Lingkungan Hidup Kabupaten Paser, Bapak Achmad Safari, S.P., M.Si. sangat menyambut baik tim ekspedisi ini dan memberikan akses penuh untuk eksplorasi kutu putih di tanaman endemik yang hidup di Taman Hutan Raya Lati Petangis, Kabupaten Paser. “Kami sangat bergembira bila ada tim peneliti Perguruan Tinggi dan BRIN yang mau melakukan evaluasi keragaman hayati di tahura Lati petangis”, ungkap Kadis LH ini. Lebih lanjut eksplorasi akan lebih difokuskan di Wilayah IKN yang terdiri atas 54 wilayah administratif setingkat desa atau kelurahan dengan perincian 11 desa dan 4 kelurahan di Kecamatan Sepaku, 4 desa dan 19 kelurahan di Kecamatan Samboja, 5 desa di Kecamatan Loa Janan, 2 desa di Kecamatan Loa Kulu, 8 desa di Kecamatan Muara Jawa, dan 1 desa di Kecamatan Sanga Sanga.