Land Characteristics in Limestone Mining Areas In Ratatotok District, Southeast Minahasa Regency
Authors: Soputan Ronny , Warouw Verry R. Ch. , Sinolungan Meldi Tieneke Magdalena 
Published: June 2024

This research was conducted with the objectives: (1) to obtain information about vegetation types; (2) to obtain a general overview of land morphology; (3) to identify the physical and chemical properties of the soil. This research was located in the limestone mining area of North Ratatotok Village, Ratatotok District, Southeast Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi in May – October 2023. This research is descriptive research with a variable approach through field surveys and is supported by soil analysis in the laboratory. Primary data was obtained through field surveys including observing vegetation types, and land morphology, and taking soil samples followed by analysis of the physical and chemical properties of the soil in the laboratory. The data obtained was analyzed descriptively with a qualitative approach. The results of the research show that: (1) There are approximately 31 types of vegetation identified on the limestone land, where the dominant plants are coconut, cloves, and teak, followed by food plants such as tubers, fruit, and vegetables; (2) Land morphology is characterized by a slope consisting of 0 - 3 % (flat), 15 - 30 % (sloping), 25 - 30 % (sloping) and > 45 % (very steep), (3a) the physical characteristics of the land are characterized The soil color varies, namely dark grayish brown to very dark grayish brown, the soil structure is subangular blocky with a weak to a strong level of development, the soil consistency is loose to very loose, followed by slightly firm to firm, the soil texture is dominated by factions. dust, followed by the clay fraction and sand fraction, soil permeability is included in the criteria of rather slow, moderate to rather fast; (3b) Soil chemical characteristics are characterized by pH (slightly acidic - neutral), available P (shallow), C-organic (shallow - medium), N-total (low - very high), C/N ratio (low - medium), Kdd (low – medium, Nadd (low – medium), Mgdd (low – high), Cadd (high – very high), KTK (high – very high, and KB (medium – very high).
Keywords: land characteristics, mining, limestone
Abstrak
Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan tujuan : (1) untuk memperoleh informasi tentang jenis vegetasi; (2) untuk memperoleh gambaran umum tentang morfologi lahan;  (3) dan untuk mengidentifikasi sifat fisik dan kimia tanah.  Lokasi penelitian ini dilaksanakan di areal pertambangan batu kapur desa Ratatotok Utara Kecamatan Ratatotok Kabupaten Minahasa Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara pada bulan Mei – Oktober 2023. Penelitian  ini merupakan  penelitian  deskriptif  dengan  pendekatan  variabel  melalui  survei lapangan dan didukung oleh analisis tanah di laboratorium. Data primer diperoleh melalui survei lapangan  meliputi pengamatan  jenis vegetasi,  morfologi lahan, dan pengambilan contoh tanah yang dilanjutkan dengan analisis sifat fisik dan kimia tanah di laboratorium.  Data yang diperoleh dianalisis secara deskriptif  dengan  pendekatan  kualitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa  : (1) Jenis vegetasi yang teridentifikasi pada lahan batuan kapur  sebanyak kurang lebih 31 individu dimana tanaman yang dominan adalah kelapa , cengkeh, jati  diikuti oleh tanaman pangan seperti umbi-umbian, buah-buahan dan sayur-sayuran; (2) Morfologi lahan dicirikan oleh kemiringan lereng terdiri dari 0 - 3 % (datar),  15 -  30 % (miring), 25 - 30 % (miring) dan >  45 % (sangat curam), (3a) karakteristik fisik tanah dicirikan oleh warna tanah bervariasi, yaitu coklat keabuan gelap sampai coklat keabuan sangat gelap,  struktur tanah adalah gumpal membulat  (subangular  blocky)  dengan  tingkat   perkembangan  lemah  sampai kuat, konsistensi tanah gembur sampai sangat gembur, diikuti oleh agak teguh sampai teguh, tekstur tanahnya didominasi oleh faksi debu, diikuti oleh fraksi liat  dan fraksi pasir, permeabilitas tanah termasuk pada kriteria agak lambat, sedang sampai dengan agak cepat; (3b) karakteristik kimia tanah dicirikan oleh pH (agak masam - netral), P tersedia (sangat rendah), C-organik (sangat rendah – sedang),  N-total  (rendah - sangat tinggi), ratio C/N (rendah – sedang), Kdd (rendah – sedang, Nadd  (rendah – sedang), Mgdd (rendah – tinggi), Cadd (tinggi – sangat tinngi), KTK (tinggi – sangat tinggi, dan KB (sedang – sangat tinggi).

Kata kunci : karakteristik lahan, pertambangan, batu kapur