Environmental and socio-economic impacts of rubber cultivation in the Mekong region: challenges for sustainable land use.

Abstract

More than 90% of the global natural rubber production originates from monoculture plantations in tropical Asia, especially from countries forming the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Rubber cultivation is expected to further increase strongly in the near future, particularly at the expense of natural forests, and is accompanied by various problems and threats to farmers and the environment. Implications on carbon balance and hydrological conditions as well as socio-economic consequences referring to the situation in the GMS are reviewed. Results indicate considerable changes in ecosystem functions and services at different spatial and temporal scales with impacts on carbon stocks and sequestration, water quality and quantity, runoff and soil erosion. The long-term dependency on rubber as a single crop affects the socio-economic conditions and livelihood of the farmers and exposes them to economic and ecological hazards. Solutions for these interrelated problems require the development of alternative land-use systems and safeguarding important ecosystem functions and services on the one hand as well as providing economic viability on the other. Common suggestions include crop diversification and improved plantation management on the farm scale, and alternative land-use strategies including conservation and restoration of forest on the landscape scale. Successful implementation of more sustainable concepts is only feasible within a socio-economic framework, involving farmers and political decision-makers in the conceptualization process and the identification of trade-offs between ecological requirements and economic feasibility.

Investigating potential transferability of place-based research in land system science

“…lower transferability potentials in Ukraine due to differences in yields and socioeconomic conditions), but the general pattern remained largely similar, covering most of the Western Siberian grain belt (Kühling et al 2016). Similarly for SURUMER, which focuses on sustainable rubber cultivation in the Mekong Region, only few out of the 32 global variables had values that did not closely match the local reality (Hauser et al 2015). Of the land-use intensity indicators, both cropland area and the use of N fertilizer were underestimated.…”

Uji Adaptasi Sorgum Manis Sebagai Tanaman Sela Di Antara Tanaman Karet Belum Menghasilkan

“…Keuntungan dari penanaman tanaman pangan sebagai tanaman sela karet antara lain, yaitu 1) tanaman sela dapat berfungsi sebagai tanaman penutup tanah, sehingga berfungsi untuk konservasi lahan karet, 2) efisiensi biaya usahatani dan tenaga kerja, karena biaya usahatani untuk pemeliharaan tanaman karet dapat d i l a k u k a n b e r s a m a -s a m a d e n g a n p e m e l i h a r a a n t a n a m a n s e l a , 3 ) meningkatkan pendapatan petani dan 4) petani dapat menyediakan kebutuhan pangan keluarganya secara swadaya, sehingga dapat menghemat kebutuhan pangan di daerah (Rosyid, 2007;Rosyid et al, 2012;Snoeck et al, 2013;Hauser et al, 2015).…”

Tipping Points in the Supply of Ecosystem Services of a Mountainous Watershed in Southeast Asia

“…In Montane Mainland Southeast Asia (MMSEA), the recent intensification in the cultivation of cash crops has led to the demise of traditional swidden farming systems [20]. Major reductions in livelihood options, socioeconomic well-being, and the supply of ESS have been the result of such large-scale land use conversions [21][22][23].…”