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N. Novita et al.
of 640 ± 114 Mg CO 2 /ha. Finally, while restoring peatlands is important, avoiding
peat conversion is imperative for Indonesia’s climate change mitigation effort.
Keywords Tropical peat forest · Land-use change · Oil palm · Indonesia · Climate
change mitigation
Introduction
Tropical peat swamp forests provide a broad array of important ecological functions and environmental services (Page et al. 2006). This ecosystem is known as a
biodiversity hotspot supporting the existence of endemic and endangered flora and
fauna (Posa et al. 2011). Tropical peat swamp forests are imperative for the socioeconomics of local communities, as resource for food, shelter, plant-based medicine,
and cultural activities at local and global scale (Hergoualc’h et al. 2016). They also
exert hydrological controls on water flow during wet and dry seasons (Wösten et al.
2006). In addition, the prominent role of tropical peatlands as carbon (C) reservoir
and sink has been described in many scientific studies (Page et al. 2011; Murdiyarso
et al. 2009; Yu et al. 2011; Warren et al. 2017). Approximately 84% of peat carbon
in Southeast Asia is found in Indonesia (Page et al. 2011) which equals to 18% of
volume peat globally (Gumbricht et al. 2017), where extensive deforestation and
degradation of peat swamp forests has occurred since the 1990s.
Recently, a half of tropical peat swamp ecosystem have been converted to managed
plantation (particularly oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) at smallholders and industrial scales, then followed by logged-over areas (Miettinen et al. 2015). In addition, fires emissions during land preparation and peat drainage result in high greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere (Langner and Siegerts 2009; Saharjo 2007).
Currently, Indonesia is extensively avoiding peat conversion by extending moratorium on the conversion of peatland, rewetting peatlands, restoring degraded peatlands, and improving socioeconomic or community livelihood. Thus, reducing emissions from peat swamp forest deforestation is important relative to the commitment
to reduce national emissions by 497 MtonCO 2 e from forestry and land-use change
sector. Including peat swamp forest conservation and restoration as main activity to
achieve national NDC target is a promising step to cut land-based emissions by an
estimated 29% compared to the business as usual scenario by 2030.
Given that tropical peat swamp forests have been recognized as having exceptionally high carbon stocks coupled with rapid rates of deforestation in the past, it is
important to quantify the changes in carbon stocks and potential carbon emissions
due to forest conversion. Limited data exists for ecosystem carbon stocks in tropical peatlands particularly for soil carbon, and even fewer for carbon emissions that
would arise from vegetation cover change of peat swamp forest. The lack of data
becomes a major problem for stakeholders at national level to develop policy related
to reduction of national greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change sector on
N. Novita et al.
of 640 ± 114 Mg CO 2 /ha. Finally, while restoring peatlands is important, avoiding
peat conversion is imperative for Indonesia’s climate change mitigation effort.
Keywords Tropical peat forest · Land-use change · Oil palm · Indonesia · Climate
change mitigation
Introduction
Tropical peat swamp forests provide a broad array of important ecological functions and environmental services (Page et al. 2006). This ecosystem is known as a
biodiversity hotspot supporting the existence of endemic and endangered flora and
fauna (Posa et al. 2011). Tropical peat swamp forests are imperative for the socioeconomics of local communities, as resource for food, shelter, plant-based medicine,
and cultural activities at local and global scale (Hergoualc’h et al. 2016). They also
exert hydrological controls on water flow during wet and dry seasons (Wösten et al.
2006). In addition, the prominent role of tropical peatlands as carbon (C) reservoir
and sink has been described in many scientific studies (Page et al. 2011; Murdiyarso
et al. 2009; Yu et al. 2011; Warren et al. 2017). Approximately 84% of peat carbon
in Southeast Asia is found in Indonesia (Page et al. 2011) which equals to 18% of
volume peat globally (Gumbricht et al. 2017), where extensive deforestation and
degradation of peat swamp forests has occurred since the 1990s.
Recently, a half of tropical peat swamp ecosystem have been converted to managed
plantation (particularly oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) at smallholders and industrial scales, then followed by logged-over areas (Miettinen et al. 2015). In addition, fires emissions during land preparation and peat drainage result in high greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere (Langner and Siegerts 2009; Saharjo 2007).
Currently, Indonesia is extensively avoiding peat conversion by extending moratorium on the conversion of peatland, rewetting peatlands, restoring degraded peatlands, and improving socioeconomic or community livelihood. Thus, reducing emissions from peat swamp forest deforestation is important relative to the commitment
to reduce national emissions by 497 MtonCO 2 e from forestry and land-use change
sector. Including peat swamp forest conservation and restoration as main activity to
achieve national NDC target is a promising step to cut land-based emissions by an
estimated 29% compared to the business as usual scenario by 2030.
Given that tropical peat swamp forests have been recognized as having exceptionally high carbon stocks coupled with rapid rates of deforestation in the past, it is
important to quantify the changes in carbon stocks and potential carbon emissions
due to forest conversion. Limited data exists for ecosystem carbon stocks in tropical peatlands particularly for soil carbon, and even fewer for carbon emissions that
would arise from vegetation cover change of peat swamp forest. The lack of data
becomes a major problem for stakeholders at national level to develop policy related
to reduction of national greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change sector on