ABSTRACT. Will community monitoring assist in delivering just and equitable REDD+? We assessed whether local communities can effectively estimate carbon stocks in some of the world's most carbon rich forests, using simple field protocols, and we reviewed whether community monitoring exists in current REDD+ pilots. We obtained similar results for forest carbon when measured by communities and professional foresters in 289 vegetation plots in Southeast Asia. Most REDD+ monitoring schemes, however, contain no community involvement. To close the gulf between United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change texts on involving communities and field implementation realities, we propose greater embedding of community monitoring within national REDD+ pilot schemes, which we argue will lead to a more just REDD+.

A B S T R A C TSustainability criteria for palm oil production guide new planting toward non-forest land cover on mineral soil, avoiding carbon debts caused by forest and peat conversion. Effects on soil carbon stock (soil C stock ) of land use change trajectories from forest and non-forest to oil palm on mineral soils include initial decline and subsequent recovery, however modeling efforts and life-cycle accounting are constrained by lack of comprehensive data sets; only few case studies underpin current debate. We analyzed soil C stock (Mg ha À1 ), soil bulk density (BD, g cm À3 ) and soil organic carbon concentration (C org , %) from 155 plots in 20 oil palm plantations across the major production areas of Indonesia, identifying trends during a production cycle on 6 plantations with sufficient spread in plot age. Plots were sampled in four management zones: weeded circle (WC), interrow (IR), frond stacks (FS), and harvest paths (HP); three depth intervals 0-5, 5-15 and 15-30 cm were sampled in each zone. Compared to the initial condition, increases in C org (16.2%) and reduction in BD (8.9%) in the FS zone, was compensated by decrease in C org (21.4%) and increase in BD (6.6%) in the HP zone, with intermediate results elsewhere. For a weighted average of the four management zones and after correction for equal mineral soil basis, the net temporal trend in soil C stock in the top 30 cm of soil across all data was not significantly different from zero in both forest-and non-forest-derived oil palm plantations. Individual plantations experienced net decline, net increase or U-shaped trajectories. The 2% difference in mean soil C stock in forest and nonforest derived oil palm plantations was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Unless soil management changes strongly from current practice, it is appropriate for C footprint calculations to assume soil C stock neutrality on mineral soils used for oil palm cultivation. 2015 Z. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+) is a potentially powerful international policy mechanism that many tropical countries are working towards implementing. Thus far, limited practical consideration has been paid to local rights to forests and forest resources in REDD+ readiness programs, beyond noting the importance of these issues. Previous studies have shown that community members can reliably and cost-effectively monitor forest biomass. At the same time, this can improve local ownership and forge important links between monitoring activities and local decision-making. Existing studies have, however, been static assessments of biomass at one point in time. REDD+ programs will require repeated surveys of biomass over extended time frames. Here, we examine trends in accuracy and costs of local forest monitoring over time. We analyse repeated measurements by community members and professional foresters of 289 plots over two years in four countries in Southeast Asia. This shows, for the first time, that with repeated measurements community members' biomass measurements become increasingly accurate and costs decline. These findings provide additional support to available evidence that community members can play a strong role in monitoring forest biomass in the local implementation of REDD+.

Pinang nut (Areca catechu L.) is a major agroforestry crops in Papua with high economic value. This study developed allometric equations for estimating Pinang biomass on the basis of stem diameter and height by destructive sampling inagroforestry systems. Aboveground biomass was measured and linked to plant stem diameter at various heights (0.13 and 130 cm above the ground) and plant height. The resultant equation was used for biomass estimates in various agroforestry systems with Pinang trees, with total of 18 plots differentiated in bottom, middle and upper slope positions. As expected for palm trees, plant height is a better predictor (Y = 0.816 H 1.42 ; R 2 = 0.89) of biomass than stem diameter, with equal results for diameter measurements at 13 or 130 cm height (Y = 0.0689 D 2.59 ; R 2 = 0.74). Best results were for an equation combining diameter and plant height: Y = 0.03883*H*D 1.2 ; R 2 = 0.96. Agroforestry systems on the upper slopes had the highest carbon stocks (38.8 Mg ha -1 ) than the middle and lower slopes (25.9 and 22.5 Mg ha -1 , respectively). Aboveground carbon stocks of Pinang in study area ranged from 0.96 to 20.9 kg C tree -1 with an average of 10.1 kg C tree -1 .

Tripa is the last remaining peat-swamp forest that harbours a potentially viable Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) sub-population in a formally but not effectively protected area. It appears to be a simple showcase where current efforts to financially support reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) converge with biodiversity and social co-benefits. In practice, however, situation is more complex. REDD+ efforts interact with global palm oil trade and regulatory approaches (the moratorium) to achieve national goals for emissions reduction under umbrella of nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMA). To contextualize this debate, we assessed (i) land-use history and formal basis of palm-oil companies' rights; (ii) carbon (C) stocks, historical emission levels and potential emissions that can be avoided; (iii) economic benefits of land-use options and opportunity costs of avoiding emissions; (iv) biodiversity and environmental services; and (v) alternative options for "high C stock development" and employment generation. Natural forest cover declined (54 % in 1995, 18 % in 2009) . While 41 % of these emissions yield less than American Dollar (USD) 5 of current economic benefits per Mg CO 2 e emitted and might be compensated by REDD+, nearly all new emissions derive from a breach of existing laws, regulations and voluntary palm-oil standards. Substantial investment in alternative employment is needed, rather than carbon payments per se, to support livelihoods in a low carbon emissions economy.