Loss of Biodiversity in Indonesia

Deforestation because of Palm Oil

(Indonesian Deforestation Moratorium)

A Problem Solving Paper by Houston Zumwalt

Overview

The Issue

No matter where you live on Earth you inhale oxygen, it’s one of the natural things that

humans as a species need to have to survive, but many scientists estimate that up to twenty

percent of oxygen is produced by rainforests.

The population of the human species is growing larger while the size of rainforests and

other forests are decreasing because people are cutting them down to build houses and to replace

the forests with different plantations. Most people might not notice the importance of

deforestation in rain forests and other forests, but there are huge impacts caused by it. The United

Nations estimate that they annually lose from between $2 trillion and $4.5 trillion globally

because of deforestation (Indonesia Facing Crisis).

There are many impacts from deforestation like the loss of that area’s biodiversity. When

the rain forests or regular forests are cut down or burned down, the living space for animals starts

to decrease, so the animals living decreases causing endangered species, which then makes

people have to spend money to preserve the species endangered. From only 44,383 species found

using IUCN Red List criteria there are 16,928 species considered extinct (Total Number of

Known).

Deforestation and forest degradation can cause biodiversity to decline. When forest cover

is removed, wildlife loses their habitat and they become more vulnerable to hunting. Considering

that about 80% of the world's documented species can be found in rainforests, deforestation puts

the majority of the Earth’s biodiversity at risk (Deforestation WWF).

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The Significance

The significance of deforestation can be found all around the world. Deforestation is a

problem in today’s society because 1.6 billion people worldwide rely on the benefits forests have

to offer which consists of food, fresh water, clothing, medicine, and shelter. Deforestation comes

in many ways such as fires, clear-cutting for agriculture, ranching, and logging for timber. These

all impact people’s lives and threaten mostly all of the plant and animal species living there

(World Wildlife Fund).

Forests help to reduce the amount of Carbon Dioxide and other greenhouse gasses on our

planet, but when they are cut down or burned down they become sources of greenhouse gasses

themselves. Tropical forests can contain up to 210 gigatons of carbon and deforestation is around

15% of greenhouse gas emissions (World Wildlife Fund). Deforestation also increases the rate of

soil erosion it causes runoff and reducing the protection of the soil from trees. About 12-15

million hectares of forest are lost very year which is the equivalent of 36 football fields per

minute (Deforestation WWF).

The Future

When this issue is looked at as being separate events that aren’t connected it is easy to

look past the true threat. The main worry on the mind of scientists concerning this problem is the

health impacts on animals because of deforestation to build plantations. The Indonesian

Government wishes to expand the areas of land under Palm Oil production by 4 million hectares

so that the current production of CPO can be doubled to 40 million tons annually by 2020

(Leiman).

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The Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to enlighten people on a topic that most people

don’t realize has an effect on their everyday lives. I will learn all that I can about the causes of

loss of biodiversity in Indonesia and put the knowledge to use in the form of an action plan that

could eventually be used as a guideline in an attempt to stop the loss of biodiversity.

A Deeper Look

Overview of Case Study

For a more specific look at the loss of biodiversity I have chosen a country that is and

has been dealing with it for a long time. This particular case study is a good example of a large

problem. This country is Indonesia which is made up of about 18,000 islands and has the third

biggest rainforest in the world (Indonesia's Rainforests: Biodiversity). Deforestation in Indonesia

because of Palm Oil Plantations causes the loss of biodiversity, but loss of biodiversity can also

be caused because of the Palm Oil plantation workers. This case study interested me because

losing biodiversity in species can result in the loss of local people’s money to build habitats and

its more likely for diseases to travel because the animals aren’t as diverse as they once were.

The Problem

Most forests don’t have a great chance of gaining their biodiversity back, but many

secondary forests can recover all of the biodiversity of their former primary condition. Scientists

have found an average of just 15 - 23% of forest species in Palm Oil plantations, showing that

they don’t have the proper materials to handle the previous biodiversity anymore. Another

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problem caused by Palm Oil plantations

is that the three main orangutan

rehabilitation centers in Kalimantan are

already full. Also it doesn’t help that

there’s a big problem forming between

orangutans and plantation workers in and

around Palm Oil plantations. This

especially happens in Kalimantan where orangutans that have had their homes destroyed are

often found in small forest patches nearby the plantations, but sometimes they may enter the

plantations property and are thought of as pests. Recently there have been some cases of workers

from plantation companies killing orangutans. An orangutan named Aan that was rescued by the

Orangutan Foundation in October 2012, had over 100 air gun pellets in her body. She was shot in

her eyes and ears, she’s blind and partially deaf and has survived and will need long term care

(Leiman) (See figure 1).

Nearly 12-15 million hectares of

forest are cut down each year

(Deforestation WWF). This shows many

issues for the climate, environment, and

people living in or near forests in the area.

When preparing any forest area for a Palm Oil plantation, the trees with the highest value are cut

down and removed first. Everything remaining is usually just cleared by burning it all down. If

the forest is on peatland (which most of Indonesia is) the land is drained of everything. Peatlands

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Desdemona Despair

Figure 2: Mapping deforestation

hold a lot of carbon and the change of one hectare of Indonesian peatland forest would release up

to 6,000 tons of CO2. Rainforest deforestation is responsible for about 18 percent of greenhouse

gas emissions, causing it to be a major contributor to climate change (Palm Oil). (See Figure 2)

Indonesia has one of the rainforests with the most species and is home to many

endangered animals like Orangutans, Sumatran tigers, and Bornean rhinos. The destruction of

their natural habitats doesn’t allow the animals to keep their species going, causing a large loss

of biological diversity. Orangutans are very vulnerable to this because they depend on large

forest areas. Sometimes when Orangutans search for food, they get lost in a nearby plantation

and they are thought of as pests. According to the Center for Orangutan Protection at least 1,500

orangutans were killed by palm oil plantation workers in 2006 alone. The UN believes that there

might not be wild orangutans remaining

outside of protected areas by 2020

(Palm Oil).

The History

The demand for Palm Oil is huge in

today’s society. Grown only in tropic

areas, the palm oil tree produces oil that is used primarily for cooking in developing countries. It

is also used in food products, detergents, cosmetics and biofuel. More than half of all packaged

products Americans consume contain palm oil, it can be found in lipstick, soap, detergent, and

sometimes even ice cream (World Wildlife Fund) (See Figure 3).

According to the Indonesian Palm Oil Commission the government planned on

establishing about 1.4 million hectares of new plantations by 2010. The industry group estimates

that more than 7 million hectares of plantations have been established, leaving an additional 24.5

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Figure 3: Foods it’s in

Figure 3

Palm OilPalm Oil

million hectares available for future

expansion (Global Palm Oil).

The deforestation ban in

Indonesia is full of loopholes. Almost

half of Indonesia’s primary forests and

peatlands have no protection from

companies that cut down the trees. This

is because Indonesia's deforestation ban isn’t exactly a ban on deforestation. It's a ban on permits

to log, mine or set up a Palm Oil plantation on a particular patch of land for areas of primary

forest and carbon rich peatlands. Most of Indonesia's rainforest has been damaged by illegal

logging, mining or forest fires. Making the land look tree less and sad (Why Indonesia's

Deforestation Ban) (See figure 4).

The Significance

In order to build Palm Oil plantations a person has to destroy the rainforest making the

natural species to have smaller habitats causing disease to travel easier between them resulting in

loss of biodiversity.

Without the trees in a rainforest to anchor fertile soil, erosion can happen and make the

land into a river land. Many of the plants that are used instead of trees can’t hold the soil

correctly. Some plants like cotton and palm oil can make the soil erosion worse. As the fertile

soil disappears the agricultural producers move on to a new area where they continue to clear

forests and start the cycle all over again (World Wildlife Fund).

When the forests are burned to clear land for Palm Oil plantations in Indonesia it is a

major cause of air pollution that affect many areas of Southeast Asia in recent years including

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Why Indonesia's Deforestation Ban

Singapore and other cities. Once started many of the fire have been started many of them in peat

forests burned uncontrolled both underground and above ground for months. When the forests

are burned they create this haze which can cause serious health problems to plantations workers

and people throughout Southeast Asia. In addition to air pollution, burning of forests releases

CO2 to the atmosphere and so contributes to climate change (Palm Oil & Air).

Palm oil is Indonesia’s second largest agricultural product. In 2008 alone, Indonesia

produced over 18 million tons of palm oil. Indonesia also exported over $14.5 billion in palm oil

related products, but are those really reasons to give up on our planet and keeping the forests

clean (World Growth). Palm Oil production in Indonesia destroys the forests it’s being built by,

it destroys and pollutes the water system that is built by, and it pollutes the air for miles upon

miles of its area.  

In Conclusion

Drawn Conclusions

From my case study it is safe to say that Palm Oil plantations are indeed bad for the

ecosystem that they form next to and its biodiversity like the orangutans in Indonesia. I have

learned that the problem of Palm Oil plantations destroying rainforests and their biodiversity is a

significant issue and will continue to affect people’s lives. The amount of land that Indonesia

will give up to Palm Oil industries will go up and the amount of habitat will decrease as well

causing loss of biodiversity in that area.

Recommendations

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Wild life agencies are doing the best they can to stop the growth of Palm Oil plantations

by informing the countries being used that its terrible for the environment and for their citizens

lives to live so near the plantations. To prevent Palm Oil plantations from appearing in places

other than Indonesia and Malaysia the public have to fight for the forests. Also the development

of plantations should stop growing which would keep the forests fresh and safe for biodiversity.

People also have to realize how big of an impact Palm Oil plantations have on the wild life in

that location and help prevent the die off of animals like the Orangutan.

Action Plan

To inform people in that location of this issue they should go to the orangutan

rehabilitation centers and see what is happening to them because of the Palm Oil production.

Also the government should make more strict laws on how much land can be turned into Palm

Oil plantation and have it posted. Also keep it posted that killing the animals that come

wondering in is not allowed and should be punished by law for the abuse of the lost animals.

Work Cited

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“Ashley Leiman" Palm Oil Development and Biodiversity Conservation. Web. 4 Apr. 2015 http://www.orangutan.org.uk/downloads/Palm%20Oil%20Development%20and%20Biodiversity%20Conservation.pdf

By Ashley Leiman OBE Director/Trustee, Orangutan Foundation is full of information. It is a mostly non-bias source that consists data on the negative effects of Palm Oil Development and how it can damage the biodiversity of animals in the area. I found it credible because it consisted of the Authors name Ashley Leiman. It doesn’t have the sources named to support it. The source was put on recently in the last year. This source is data rich it shows the reader many numbers that defend why Palm Oil Development is harmful to the environment. This source is accurate and corroborates with other sources but this one had the most data out of them. It’s pretty narrow minded but not too much so.

"Deforestation." WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation>.

Is a source that gives full facts about Palm Oil production. It gives you the overview, the causes, the impacts and what WWF is doing to help. It is an accurate source meaning its data is correct. It’s a non-bias source and is just there to inform you not persuade you. This website is updated frequently so it’s all up to date.

"Deforestation." WWF -. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_forests/deforestation/>.

Is a source that is full of facts about how Palm Oil product causes soil erosion, air pollution, disturbed livelihood, and water pollution. It is accurate with all my other sources, but its bias toward it just being bad. It talks about the negative impacts of it not the benefits. I don’t know how recent it is and the data is correct.

"Desdemona Despair." Graph of the Day: Observed and Projected Deforestation in Borneo, 1950-2020. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <http://www.desdemonadespair.net/2010/07/graph-of-day-observed-and-projected.html>.

"Indonesian Deforestation Moratorium Extended." WWF -. Web. 6 Apr. 2015. <http://gftn.panda.org/?209144/Indonesian-deforestation-moratorium-extended>.

"Indonesia Facing Crisis over Loss of Species - Scientists." | Reuters. 20 July 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <http://in.reuters.com/article/2010/07/20/idINIndia-50265920100720>.

Is a source is authored by David Fogarty and Sunanda Creagh. It is not supported with the websites the information came from but it was recently added within the last five years (Tue Jul 20, 2010). It is full of fresh data for the reader to get from it and it is very accurate with the other sources I found. It is narrow minded about Indonesia facing crisis over loss of species. There is no hidden agenda behind this it is just to show you what’s happening there.

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"Indonesia's Rainforests: Biodiversity and Endangered Species." Rainforest Action Network. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

Is a source that informs the reader about the biggest species impacted by deforestation in Indonesia. This source is not authored, but it is made by Rainforest Action Network. It is full of data about the species of animals that are impacted by the growing Palm Oil Development and destruction of the rainforest. This source is moderately recent; it was created in the last five years. It is an accurate reliable source. They are mostly narrow minded, but not completely. There isn’t much emotion in this source it is just full of data.

"Orangutan Shot at 104 times." Green Kampong Inspiring a Greener Today RSS. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www.greenkampong.com/green_reporter/orangutan-shot-at-104-times/>.

Is a source that talks about an Orangutan named Aan who was shot with some sort of pellet gun. It gives great facts about why the Orangutan was shot and information about how it happened. This source is authored by the “Green Team”. It’s conclusive with its data and is a good source.

"Palm Oil." Topic. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/topics/palm-oil>.

Is a source that is full of facts about Palm Oil product and how is in half of the stuff we use. It is accurate with all my other sources. It’s not that bias. It talks about the negative impacts of it while talking other ways to do it. I don’t know how recent the website is, but the data is correct.

"Palm Oil & Air Pollution." WWF -. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/agriculture/palm_oil/environmental_impacts/air_pollution/>.

"Palm Oil & Biodiversity Loss." WWF -. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/agriculture/palm_oil/environmental_impacts/biodversity_loss/>.

Is a source that is narrow minded it just tells you about the problems that animals have to live with because of Palm Oil Development and how its harming them. The source isn’t authored and or supported but it does inform you of the impacts of Palm Oil Development.

"Unraveling the Drivers of Southeast Asia." 's Biodiversity Loss. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <http://unu.edu/publications/articles/unraveling-the-drivers-of-southeast-asia-biodiversity-loss.html#info>.

Is a source that is full of information about how South Asia is dealing with biodiversity loss. It is very accurate with all my other sources, but it is narrow minded. It talks about the negative impacts of it not the benefits. It is very recent it was made in 2011 and the data is correct.

"Why Indonesia's Deforestation Ban Isn't Enough to Protect Its Forests." Why Indonesia's Deforestation Ban Isn't Enough to Protect Its Forests. Web. 4 Apr. 2015.

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<http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/forests/indonesia-extends-deforestation-ban-two-more-years-20130517>.

Is a source that gave me information about the laws they have about deforestation in Indonesia. It is accurate with my other sources and is non bias it just tells you facts about Palm oil plantations. It tells you data about the laws they do and don’t have. The website is from 21 March 2013 and the data is correct.

“World Growth.” The Economic Benefit Of Palm Oil to Indonesia. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. < http://worldgrowth.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/WG_Indonesian_Palm_Oil_Benefits_Report-2_11.pdf>

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