Sustainability science from space: Quantifying forest disturbance and land-use dynamics in the Amazon

Curran, Lisa M.; Trigg, Simon N.

doi:10.1073/pnas.0605449103

Cited by 23 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…To acquire such datasets for tropical regions requires integrating remote sensing products with interdisciplinary methods and analyses (15). Although optical remote sensing satellites such as Landsat have sufficient temporal (∼20 d) and spatial (≤30 m) resolution to detect small land cover patches and punctuated land cover change, they are hampered by cloud cover and cannot be used to map carbon stocks (23,24).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the 1980s, Kalimantan's intact forests experienced massive degradation from logging in federal timber concessions, with related declines in AGB, and subsequent regrowth (12,14,31). However, forest degradation from logging is difficult to detect due to its spatial and temporal heterogeneity, and timber volume removed and biomass accumulation from forest regeneration are variable (15,32). Moreover, rural agrarian communities in Kalimantan maintain considerable landholdings associated with swidden agriculture (9,33).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Land cover histories constrain present land use and potential outcomes from agribusiness expansion (11). Discerning the land cover trajectories that precede agribusiness development requires documenting historical land use by various agents, as well as land jurisdiction (12, 13).Longitudinal, regionally informed land cover assessments at high temporal and spatial resolution are essential to capture the land cover sources and dynamic, often-punctuated changes brought about by plantation expansion (14,15).Such refined evaluations are critically needed in tropical countries, especially Indonesia. Since 1990, Indonesia has experienced one of the most rapid plantation expansions worldwide.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Longitudinal, regionally informed land cover assessments at high temporal and spatial resolution are essential to capture the land cover sources and dynamic, often-punctuated changes brought about by plantation expansion (14,15).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Committed carbon emissions, deforestation, and community land conversion from oil palm plantation expansion in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Carlson

Curran

Ratnasari

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

410

291

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Industrial agricultural plantations are a rapidly increasing yet largely unmeasured source of tropical land cover change. Here, we evaluate impacts of oil palm plantation development on land cover, carbon flux, and agrarian community lands in West Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. With a spatially explicit land change/carbon bookkeeping model, parameterized using high-resolution satellite time series and informed by socioeconomic surveys, we assess previous and project future plantation expansion under five scenarios. Although fire was the primary proximate cause of 1989-2008 deforestation (93%) and net carbon emissions (69%), by 2007-2008, oil palm directly caused 27% of total and 40% of peatland deforestation. Plantation land sources exhibited distinctive temporal dynamics, comprising 81% forests on mineral soils (1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001), shifting to 69% peatlands (2008)(2009)(2010)(2011). Plantation leases reveal vast development potential. In 2008, leases spanned ∼65% of the region, including 62% on peatlands and 59% of community-managed lands, yet <10% of lease area was planted. Projecting business as usual (BAU), by 2020 ∼40% of regional and 35% of community lands are cleared for oil palm, generating 26% of net carbon emissions. Intact forest cover declines to 4%, and the proportion of emissions sourced from peatlands increases 38%. Prohibiting intact and logged forest and peatland conversion to oil palm reduces emissions only 4% below BAU, because of continued uncontrolled fire. Protecting logged forests achieves greater carbon emissions reductions (21%) than protecting intact forests alone (9%) and is critical for mitigating carbon emissions. Extensive allocated leases constrain land management options, requiring trade-offs among oil palm production, carbon emissions mitigation, and maintaining community landholdings.greenhouse gas emissions | agribusiness | Elaeis guineensis | moratorium | REDD+ G lobal demand for food, biofuels, and natural resources drives capitalized agricultural development, especially for tropical plantations (1-4). Forest and peatland conversion to plantation agriculture may be a substantial source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from land cover change (5, 6), which generates 10-20% of net global GHG emissions (7). By acquiring extensive arable lands, plantations also affect land availability for smallholder farmers and communities, potentially altering local livelihood options (8, 9). Whereas environmental degradation from tropical agribusiness may overwhelm benefits of high-yield plantations for world food security (6, 10), impacts on carbon (C) flux and livelihoods are highly uncertain because locations and land sources for plantations remain largely undocumented.Complex processes of land acquisition and plantation development unfold across heterogeneous biophysical and sociopolitical landscapes in both time and space. Land cover histories constrain present land use and potential outcomes from agribusiness expansion (11). Discerning the land cover traje...

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Committed carbon emissions, deforestation, and community land conversion from oil palm plantation expansion in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Carlson

Curran

Ratnasari

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

410

291

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The framework we propose fits well with the latest techniques in satellite monitoring that allow direct estimation of canopy loss, recovery, and closure at a range of logging intensities (Asner et al 2006, Curran & Trigg 2006, GOFC-GOLD 2009. Moreover, the next generation of biomasssensitive satellite sensors will soon be launched, with many more planned (GOFC-GOLD 2009), which further supports the proposed strategy.…”

Section: Making These Strategies Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Approaches to classifying and restoring degraded tropical forests for the anticipated REDD+ climate change mitigation mechanism

Sasaki¹,

Asner²,

Knorr³

et al. 2011

iForest

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Inclusion of improved forest management as a way to enhance carbon sinks in the Copenhagen Accord of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (December 2009) suggests that forest restoration will play a role in global climate change mitigation under the post-Kyoto agreement. Although discussions about restoration strategies often pertain solely to severely degraded tropical forests and invoke only the enrichment planting option, different approaches to restoration are needed to counter the full range of degrees of degradation. We propose approaches for restoration of forests that range from being slightly to severely degraded. Our methods start with ceasing the causes of degradation and letting forests regenerate on their own, progress through active management of natural regeneration in degraded areas to accelerate tree regeneration and growth, and finally include the stage of degradation at which re-planting is necessary. We argue that when the appropriate techniques are employed, forest restoration is cost-effective relative to conventional planting, provides abundant social and ecological co-benefits, and results in the sequestration of substantial amounts of carbon. For forest restoration efforts to succeed, a supportive post-Kyoto agreement is needed as well as appropriate national policies, institutional arrangements, and local participation

show abstract

Using Remote Sensing for Terrestrial Applications

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sustainability science from space: Quantifying forest disturbance and land-use dynamics in the Amazon

Cited by 23 publications

References 18 publications

Committed carbon emissions, deforestation, and community land conversion from oil palm plantation expansion in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Committed carbon emissions, deforestation, and community land conversion from oil palm plantation expansion in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Approaches to classifying and restoring degraded tropical forests for the anticipated REDD+ climate change mitigation mechanism

Using Remote Sensing for Terrestrial Applications

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About