Indonesian Tropical Rainforests (ITRF)

Indonesian Tropical Rainforests (ITRF)

1. Background

   • Archipelago of islands
     • chain/arch of islands
   • 1,700 islands
   • Biologically and culturally rich
   • ITRF largest expanse in Asia
   • Home to 3,00 species inc. orangutans and rhinoceros
   • 1990, R.F ➡ 84% of land
     • this is 170 mil hectares
     • 2000: 100 mil hectares
     • 2010: 10 mil hectares

2. Carbon

   • ITRF + peat land was one of the world's major terrestrial carbon pools
   • (Before) Stored 57 Gt of C
   • (Now) Stores 35Gt of C
   • Deforestation and demolition released huge amounts of C into atmosphere
   • Peatlands were one of the world's largest C sinks
     • When drained, burnt and plantations built on it
       • tonnes of CO₂ released setting stage for fires as the vegetation is v dry + easily can catch alight
   • Indonesian is 3rd largest emitter of GGs
     • 85% come from the deforestation and demolition of forests and peatland
   • Peatlands become a source (rather than sink) of emissions

3. Water

   • Rivers
     • Not many large rivers in Indonesia as is Archipelagos of islands
     • Largest Marhakam river
       • 980km long
       • average discharge: 2,500 m³/sec
   • Rainfall
     • Indonesia located in the tropics and surrounded by warm sea ∴ lots of rain
     • Highlands: 610cm/yr
     • Lowlands: 100-320cm/yr
     • Wet season: Nov-Mar
     • Dry season: Apr-Oct
   • Deforestation damages balance of the water cycle due to trees not intercepting the rainfall
     • ∴ leads to more floods

4. Climate change impacts

   • decrease in rainfall by 2-3%
   • shifting rainfall patterns + disruption to wet/dry seasons
   • fewer colder nights + warmer days / nights
   • 2-3℃ increase in temp
     • disrupts ecosystems

5. Vegetation change

   • Deforestation and deviation of Indonesian rainforest took place on a v large scale
   • lost ⟩1/2 peat forest cover
   • just over 10mil hectares of forest in 2010

6. Species impacts due to alterations to the climate

   • Some species limited by their tolerance to temp change, drought + seasonality change
   • Climate alterations affect sustainability by directly altering conditions needed to grow and survive
   • push species out of their habitats

7. Drivers of changes in climate

   • Palm oil, timber + paper industries
   • Deforestation + degradation of Indonesian forest took place on a giant scale
   • Indonesia became a leading raw materials supplier in the timber, paper and palm oil industries in 1970s
   • Since 1970s > half of peat lost
   • Human induced activity causing issues!

8. Changes to rivers

   • Changes in precipitation, extreme rainfall events + seasonability
     • Overall reduce in river discharge
     • ⬆ in silt washed into rivers
     • flash flooding
     • destroy freshwater ecosystems
     • Destroy water supplies

9. Mitigation

   • Launched major campaigns to stamp out illegal logging + deforestation
   • Commission against corruption
   • Attempt to enforce law banning plantations on deep peat + burning peat
   • Established a national REDD agency (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation + forest Degradation)
   • Issued regulation to protect remaining forest
   • BUT.. Due to political economy of corruption it has hindered efforts to protect the ITRF