ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF BERANGAN ( Castanopsis spp.) IN NAGAN RAYA DISTRICT INDONESIA

Castanopsis spp., also known as berangan in Acehnese, is a chestnut species that is still used and well-known by the people of Indonesia. However, it is currently very rare and is becoming less well-known to today's younger generation. This research aims to study and understand how people in Nagan Raya process and use Castanopsis spp. species. Data were collected using two methods: ethnobotanical data and population data. The participatory rural appraisal (PRA) method was used in direct interviews to collect ethnobotanical data. Purposive sampling was used to obtain the Castanopsis spp. the population as much as local informants could show. There were 48 people from three groups of respondents who provided ethnobotanical data: traditional figures, farmers, and villagers who Castanopsis spp. species. The respondents in this study were divided into three groups based on their age, education, and occupation. There are 2 types of Castanopsis spp. that have been found in the Nagan Raya district, Castanopsis inermis and Castanopsis costata . They were discovered in forest areas, plantations, office/home yards, and roadside areas. Castanopsis spp fruits are commonly used as food, while the wood are usually used as carpentry/furniture


INTRODUCTION
An ethnobotanical approach will make it simple to find basic information about the benefits of plants, such as medicines, food, and various other important preparations.
Ethnobotany is frequently used to determine people's knowledge of how to use various types of plants that have numerous benefits [3].
Castanopsis spp., also known as berangan in the local language (Acehnese), a chestnut species, is a plant that is still used and well known by the people of Indonesia [2].This is a woody plant with a lot of potentials, such as a building material or food source [4].
Chestnut is not only popular in Indonesia; but foreign communities have also consumed its fruit.Germany has planted Castanopsis sativa chestnut trees in a 450-hectare garden with a population of 35,000 trees for fruit seeds to be used as a new food source [5].
Although Indonesia has the potential to develop this chestnut plant,

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Composition of Castanopsis spp. The

Energy sources
The people of Nagan Raya Regency have a central brick-making area.The process of making these bricks necessitates the use of wood for burning on the stove.Chestnut wood can also be used as a source of heat-producing energy in the brick-burning process.
The residue from cutting wood that has become a board, such as small branches and remaining pieces of board, is often used.

CONCLUSION
The Indonesian forests are mostly classified as tropical rainforests with high biodiversity [1].Many of the plants in it have not been thoroughly studied for their benefits and uses in human welfare.Humans have benefited from forests since ancient times because they provide various primary needs such as clothing, food, and shelter [2].Community interaction with plants in everyday life is one way to learn about how plants are used in the community.

Furthermore, the value
of easy palm oil maintenance and the results obtained provide sufficient benefits.The frequent occurrence of land clearing to cultivate certain plant species without education and ethnobotanical studies will result in reduced and uncontrolled forest land cover, as well as a reduction in the diversity of endemic flora and fauna in an area [8].Ethnobotanical studies of chestnut (Castanopsis spp.) in Nagan Raya District are deemed important in order to be designated as information on forest potential and to promote one of the plant species that has become scarce so that it is included on the list of plant species for conservation.The goal of this study was to collect data on the Castanopsis spp.population in Nagan Raya and to investigate its ethnobotany, commencing with the species used, how it is used, and how it is processed by the community.used to select sub-districts and villages for research based on the presence of Castanopsis spp. in the field.Respondents in each selected village were divided into three groups: a traditional leader in each village, farmers who possessed Castanopsis spp. in their fields, or at least 5 people in each village, and residents who have used chestnut (traders, consumers, and chestnut collectors).The characteristics of the respondents chosen for the interview were determined by their age, education, and occupation.The ethnobotanical study looked at the parts of Castanopsis spp.species that are used, their uses, and how they are processed.Sampling for identification was done at every location where Castanopsis spp. was discovered.The forest area indicated by respondents for the presence of Castanopsis spp. was observed using the nested plot method, which was placed based on where Castanopsis spp. was found.Total of 5 nested plots are placed at each determined location point of the forest area.The first plot represents the initial location of Castanopsis spp., while the other four plots are determined by the four cardinal directions.The plots are 50 meters apart.Each observation plot was carried out by collecting samples from each Castanopsis spp growth level, which is seedlings, stakes, poles, and trees [9].The criteria for each stratum are presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.The design of the nested plot method
study indicates that

Table 2 .
Utilization of Castanopsis spp.by the people of Nagan Raya Regency

Castanopsis spp. as a food sources
Castanopsis costata was only found in one.Castanopsis spp.individuals are most commonly found in the forest, with a percentage of 48.5%, while roadside areas have the fewest, with a percentage of 2.9%.Castanopsis spp. is used as food, furniture materials, and daily energy sources, as well as in the brick manufacturing industry.Fruit and wood are the parts of Castanopsis spp. that are used.