Chapter 10
Carbon Stocks from Peat Swamp Forest
and Oil Palm Plantation in Central
Kalimantan, Indonesia
Nisa Novita, J. Boone Kauffman, Kristell Hergoualc’h, Daniel Murdiyarso,
Dede Hendry Tryanto, and Joni Jupesta
Abstract Conserving high carbon density tropical peat forests is one of the most
cost-efficient strategies for climate change mitigation at national and global levels.
Over past decades, large areas of tropical peat forests have been converted to oil palm
plantation in Indonesia resulting in significant carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Here, we quantified the ecosystem carbon stocks in a total of six sites: two primary
peat swamp forest sites, one secondary peat swamp forest site, and three young oil
palm plantation sites in Tanjung Puting, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. We further
determined potential carbon emissions from vegetation change due to peat swamp
forest conversion to oil palm plantation. The mean total ecosystem carbon stock of
primary and secondary peat swamp forests were 1770 ± 123 Mg C/ha and 533 ±
49 Mg C/ha, respectively. In contrast, the mean carbon stock of oil palm plantations
was 759 ± 87 Mg C/ha or 42% of peat swamp forests. The ratio of the aboveground
to belowground C stock was highest in secondary forest with an estimated value of
0.48, followed by primary forest at 0.19 and oil palm plantation at 0.04. Using a stock
difference approach, we estimated potential carbon emissions from vegetation change
resulting from the conversion of primary peat swamp forest to oil palm plantation
The original version of this chapter was revised: This chapter has been changed to open access
under a CC BY 4.0 license. The correction to this chapter is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/
978-3-030-55536-8_16
N. Novita (B) · K. Hergoualc’h · D. Murdiyarso · D. H. Tryanto
Center for International Forestry Research, Jalan CIFOR, Situgede Sindang Barang, Bogor Barat
16680, Indonesia
e-mail: nisa.novita.278@gmail.com
N. Novita · J. B. Kauffman
Oregon State University, Nash Hall, 2820 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
D. H. Tryanto
Badan Restorasi Gambut, Gedung Graha Mandiri Lt. 21, Jl. Imam Bonjol No. 61, Menteng,
Jakarta Pusat 10310, Indonesia
J. Jupesta
PT. SMARt Tbk., SMART Research Institute, Jln Sukarno Hatta No 19, Pekanbaru, Riau 28294,
Indonesia
© The Author(s) 2021, corrected publication 2021
R. Djalante et al. (eds.), Climate Change Research, Policy and Actions in Indonesia,
Springer Climate, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55536-8_10
203
Carbon Stocks from Peat Swamp Forest
and Oil Palm Plantation in Central
Kalimantan, Indonesia
Nisa Novita, J. Boone Kauffman, Kristell Hergoualc’h, Daniel Murdiyarso,
Dede Hendry Tryanto, and Joni Jupesta
Abstract Conserving high carbon density tropical peat forests is one of the most
cost-efficient strategies for climate change mitigation at national and global levels.
Over past decades, large areas of tropical peat forests have been converted to oil palm
plantation in Indonesia resulting in significant carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Here, we quantified the ecosystem carbon stocks in a total of six sites: two primary
peat swamp forest sites, one secondary peat swamp forest site, and three young oil
palm plantation sites in Tanjung Puting, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. We further
determined potential carbon emissions from vegetation change due to peat swamp
forest conversion to oil palm plantation. The mean total ecosystem carbon stock of
primary and secondary peat swamp forests were 1770 ± 123 Mg C/ha and 533 ±
49 Mg C/ha, respectively. In contrast, the mean carbon stock of oil palm plantations
was 759 ± 87 Mg C/ha or 42% of peat swamp forests. The ratio of the aboveground
to belowground C stock was highest in secondary forest with an estimated value of
0.48, followed by primary forest at 0.19 and oil palm plantation at 0.04. Using a stock
difference approach, we estimated potential carbon emissions from vegetation change
resulting from the conversion of primary peat swamp forest to oil palm plantation
The original version of this chapter was revised: This chapter has been changed to open access
under a CC BY 4.0 license. The correction to this chapter is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/
978-3-030-55536-8_16
N. Novita (B) · K. Hergoualc’h · D. Murdiyarso · D. H. Tryanto
Center for International Forestry Research, Jalan CIFOR, Situgede Sindang Barang, Bogor Barat
16680, Indonesia
e-mail: nisa.novita.278@gmail.com
N. Novita · J. B. Kauffman
Oregon State University, Nash Hall, 2820 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
D. H. Tryanto
Badan Restorasi Gambut, Gedung Graha Mandiri Lt. 21, Jl. Imam Bonjol No. 61, Menteng,
Jakarta Pusat 10310, Indonesia
J. Jupesta
PT. SMARt Tbk., SMART Research Institute, Jln Sukarno Hatta No 19, Pekanbaru, Riau 28294,
Indonesia
© The Author(s) 2021, corrected publication 2021
R. Djalante et al. (eds.), Climate Change Research, Policy and Actions in Indonesia,
Springer Climate, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55536-8_10
203