Rapid conversions and avoided deforestation: examining four decades of industrial plantation expansion in Borneo

Abstract

New plantations can either cause deforestation by replacing natural forests or avoid this by using previously cleared areas. The extent of these two situations is contested in tropical biodiversity hotspots where objective data are limited. Here, we explore delays between deforestation and the establishment of industrial tree plantations on Borneo using satellite imagery. Between 1973 and 2015 an estimated 18.7 Mha of Borneo’s old-growth forest were cleared (14.4 Mha and 4.2 Mha in Indonesian and Malaysian Borneo). Industrial plantations expanded by 9.1 Mha (7.8 Mha oil-palm; 1.3 Mha pulpwood). Approximately 7.0 Mha of the total plantation area in 2015 (9.2 Mha) were old-growth forest in 1973, of which 4.5–4.8 Mha (24–26% of Borneo-wide deforestation) were planted within five years of forest clearance (3.7–3.9 Mha oil-palm; 0.8–0.9 Mha pulpwood). This rapid within-five-year conversion has been greater in Malaysia than in Indonesia (57–60% versus 15–16%). In Indonesia, a higher proportion of oil-palm plantations was developed on already cleared degraded lands (a legacy of recurrent forest fires). However, rapid conversion of Indonesian forests to industrial plantations has increased steeply since 2005. We conclude that plantation industries have been the principle driver of deforestation in Malaysian Borneo over the last four decades. In contrast, their role in deforestation in Indonesian Borneo was less marked, but has been growing recently. We note caveats in interpreting these results and highlight the need for greater accountability in plantation development.

Implementation of Multi-System Silviculture (Mss) to Improve Performance of Production Forest Management: A Case Study of Pt. Sarpatim, Central Kalimantan

“…In Indonesia, this matter was caused by unsustainable management (Tsujino, Yumoto, Kitamura, Djamaluddin, & Darnaedi, 2016), deforestation (Gaveau et al, 2016;Margono, Potapov, Turubanova, Stolle, & Hansen, 2014), occupation (Gatto, Wollni, & Qaim, 2015;Maladi, 2013), illegal logging (Linkie, Sloan, Kasia, Kiswayadi, & Azmi, 2014;Maryudi, 2016;Schmitz, 2016), forest fires (Herawati & Santoso, 2011) or other damage have resulted in fragmented forests, including those happened in production forest concessions (MoEF, 2017). Many experts have identified earlier that there were many non-forested clusters in the Indonesian production forest concessionk known as fragmented forest and the number is increasing (Faculty of Forestry IPB, 2003;Rusli, 2008).…”

Estate Crops More Attractive than Community Forests in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

“…The extent of Borneo's forests declined by 34% from 1973-2015, primarily due to agricultural expansion and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-induced wildfires [17,18]. By 2015, Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) contained 5.7 million hectares of industrial plantations [18]. Oil palm drives the majority of agricultural expansion in Kalimantan [19].…”

Palm oil and likely futures: Assessing the potential impacts of zero deforestation commitments and a moratorium on large-scale oil palm plantations in Indonesia

“…Specific information included corresponds to: (1) the land cover map of the Ministry of Forestry (KLHK), (2) information for large-scale oil palm plantations from Gunarso et al (2013) for Sumatra and Papua and from Gaveau et al (2016) for Kalimantan, and (3) statistics for area and production of crops 1 and number of heads and production of four animal types at Kabupaten level for the whole of Indonesia between 2000 and 2009 from the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan).…”

“…Large-scale plantations are above 100-ha blocks of oil palm trees planted in lines. They can be detected on satellite images due to their distinctive geometric shape and their grid-like patterns (Gaveau et al 2016). …”

“…In turn, an analysis of forests cleared directly for oil palm between 1973 and 2015 estimates a higher proportion of oil palm was developed on already cleared degraded lands (a legacy of recurrent forest fires). Yet a rapid conversion of forests to industrial plantations, primarily oil palm plantations, was observed since 2005 (Gaveau et al 2016).…”