What was a main reason for forest transformation in Java?

Correct answer: Dutch demand for timber and control of forest resources

Correct answer: A. Forest transformation in Java was closely connected with Dutch colonial efforts to control forests and obtain valuable timber, especially teak. Teak was commercially important and useful for shipbuilding and other purposes. To secure this resource, the colonial administration changed forest management, marked boundaries, regulated access and imposed labour or other controls on local people. This transformed the relationship between communities and forests: forests that had supported varied local uses were increasingly managed for colonial revenue and timber production. A is correct because it combines the economic motive, timber demand, with the political method, forest control. B, C and D are unrelated to the main colonial reason for changing Java’s forests. Memory cue: Java forest transformation—Dutch control plus teak demand.