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CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

Greenhause Gases Emissions and Sinks from Forestry Sector in Indonesia

By : Gusmailina 1) & A.N. Gintings 2)

1)
Forest Products Research and Development Center
2)
. Forest Research and Natural Conservation
Introduction

Environment global climate change has become a major focus of international

concern during the past decade. Indonesia is a signatory to the frame work convention on
climate change, which was signed at the United Nations on Environment Development in
Juni 1992. Indonesia rarified the convention on August 1 st 1994.
In 1990 the atmospheric CO2 concentration was about 25% graeter than the
preindustrial value, and higher than at any time in at least tha last 160.000 years. The carbon
dioxide concentration value is currently rising even further due the antropogenic emission.
The important sources causing an increase in CO2 values in the atmosphere are fossil fuels,
primarily being consumed in the industrialized countries. The contributions from
deforestation and land use changes are also substantial.
The population growth is the most important factor influencing the use of natural
resources as well as the environment. Activities accelerating global warms and climate
change may also be inevitably influnced by the growth of population. The activity sources of
greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission can be identified in so many kinds of human activities as
well as natural activities. However, further importance should be placed on the management
of human activity interms of the reduction oh GHGs emission, especially CO2 and CH4
emissions. One of the activities accelerating CO2 emission is land use change beginning
with non sustainable forest cutting and burning that totally clear the above ground biomass
carbon and partly clear the carbon in surface soil. Transmigration development and shifting
cultivation were two activity sources of GHGs emission, which were aimed for establishing
cropland. Development of estate crop and transmigration usually takes place in natural forest
(conversion forest) with the deforestation rate of 160.000 ha/year (Anonimous, 1991).
Emission of carbon onlyoccurs in the first year (60% is burned onsite, 20% for construction
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wood, and 20% is burned of site). In this case Fisher (1990) said the biomass burning
contributes 50 to 100 TG, or about 10%, of global methane emission. Land cleaning for
agriculture or population increase produces about 1/3 of this, burning of agricultural wastes
produces a little more than ¼, burning of fuelwood produces about 15%, and the rest arises
from burning of savanna and brushland and wildfires. Since over half is produced by
deforestation for agriculture of colonization, programs to decrease deforestation would also
decrease this source of methane emission. Program to better utilize agricultural wastes
would also decrease methane from biomass burning. This paper reviewed the studies
greenhouse gases inventory from forestry sector in Indonesia.

The Role of Forest

Atmospheric CO2 affect various component of plants carbon budget including

photosynthesis, respiration and biomass accumulation. The growth rate of trees and thus the
carbon accumulation will vary with their ago. Furthermore, rates of decay and regrowth vary
with the type of ecosystem and the typeof land use. Forest in different stages and at
different locations thus act differently with respect to carbon fixation (Anonymous, 1994).
The greatest change in terrestrial carbon result when forest are transformed in to non-
forest and when areas not forested are reforested. In general, forest with net growth is
capable of net absorption of CO2. Whereas mature forests whit little growth hold carbon
stock but are unable to absorb additional CO2. Forests that experience a net loss of biomass
volume due to over-maturity, desease or fire become net emitters of CO2 (Kyrklund, 1990).
Kyrklund (1990) states that preservation of forests is relatively in efficient means of
fixating CO2. This is true if only the forest rate of growth is considered. But preservation of
natural tropical forests could be viewed as an efficient means of reducing emission of CO2,
in particular if the alternative is deforestation. The forests have previously absorbed carbon,
and at present they act as a carbon store.
The forest land area has an important potential as a terrestrial sink of atmospheric
carbon dioxide and methane. They are of forest covered about 17,75% of land area of the
country bear a potential for terrestrial sink of atm CO2. The State Ministry of Indonesian
Environment in US-EPA Indonesia Country Study Program (1995) has studied the estimation
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of carbon sink in forest land area is 1,238,525 Gg coming from growth of trees in abandoned
grassland (4,147 Gg) and changes in forest an other woody biomass (i.e.annual growth
increment of 1,234,378 Gg).

Carbon Emission and Uptake by Forest Activities

The activities of the forestry contribute to carbon emission and uptake are considered
as: selective cutting with natural regenerating in production forest (TPTI), timber estates in
Java and outside of Java, devorestation, reforestation and people plantation in land fields
(Gintings et al., 1995). The emission from forest activities are: emission from logs in natural
production forests, emission from timber estates, emission from protection forests, emission
from conversion forests, emission from people plantations in land fields and emission from
deforestation activities.
Deforestation release CO2 to the atmospheric because trees and forests soil hold 20-
50 times more carbon than the crop or pasture system which typically replace forests when
they are cut (Houghton, 1990). Much of this release occurs rapidly through the burning of
trees, the rest by the slower decay of dead vegetation and soil organic matter. Eventually
more than 90% of the forest carbon may end up in the atmosphere. A recent report indicates
that 1,1 million ha of tropical forests are being deforested annually (SEI, 1992 in
Anonymous, 1994). The estimated figure of forest area reduction due to deforestation in
Indonesia is present in Table 1. This table show that shifting cultivation and transmigration
were the two major types of activities which reduced the forest area.

Table 1. Rate of deforestation during 1982 – 1990 by different activities

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No Activities Ha/year
1 Development of estate crops 160.000
2 Transmigration and related infrastructure 300.000
3 Shifting cultivation 300.000
4 Forest fire (normal) 100.000
5 Influence of tha Kalimantan fire of 1982-1983 on the average of
1982-1990 378.000
6 Others (spontant transmigration, illegal loging, urban
development, mining, etc) 77.000
Total 1.315.000
Source : Draft Final Report of IIFAP (1991)

Emission of CO2 due to deforestation has been studies by Japan Environmental

Agency (1992). The estimation of cumulative gross carbon emission during 1990-2030 was
carried out using two scenarios. The first scenario assumed that during this period forest area
to be cleared was 27 million ha, thus the rate of deforestation during the period is the same as
the rate of deforestation during the period 1982-1990, that is 1.315 ha. That results at the
estimation of cumulative carbon emission during period of 1990-2030 were 1.2 and 2.4
million tonmof carbon for low and high scenario respectively.
The potential sink of GHGs, particularly for CO2 are forest, coral and sea water.
However the capacity of the coral in uptaking CO2 are not known well. On the other hand
the estimation of CO2 uptake by seawater at the present tage is also difficult eventhough it is
obvious that sea water uptakes CO2. A study conducted by Quay et al (1992) in Anonimous
(1995) in Pacific Ocean showed this phenomena. They found that average net oceanic CO2
uptake was 2,1 Gt of carbon per year. This suggested that the ocean is the dominant net sink
for anthropogenically produced CO2. As the study on sink strength of the ocean is very
limited.
Fast growing trees sequestrate more carbon. Sequestration of carbon reach an
equilibrium when the tree growth reaches its maximum capacity. The different sources
ofgrowth have different capacity to sequester carbon. Thus current and future carbon intake
from the growing trees can be proxied from the wood incremental growth within their
rotation period. Hence tha total carbon is being sequestrated by different vegetation types or
the net carbon balance of photosynthesis-respiration process of every tree in their ecosystem.
The data base used for calculating carbon emission and uptake are follows:
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Table 2. The average annual carbon emission and uptake for Indonesia

Up take Emission Balance

Forest Activities (MTc)
MTc % Total MTc % Total
Natural Production 1,2 0,7 29,9 18,5 - 28,7
Forest (TPTI)
Timber Estate Outside 64,3 41,1 50,3 31,2 + 14,0
Java (HTI)
Timber Estate in Java 16,6 10,6 0,9 0,6 + 15,7
(Perhutani)
Deforestation & 1,3 0,8 69,5 43,1 - 68,2
Reforestation
Landfields 73,2 46,8 10,6 6,6 + 62,6
Total Indonesia 156,5 161,1 - 4,6
Source: Gintings, Yuwono, Hilman, Kiman (1995)

On the basis of the analysis of the current conditions of Indonesian forest mentioned
above, two CO2 uptake scenarios was established (using simply field OECD methodology),
namely high a low scenario. The high scenario assumed that the area of regenerating forest
fallow was categorized as closed broad-leaved forest, and set up a command survival rate of
plantation forest at 100%. Where as, the low scenario assumed the area of regenerating
forest fallow was open forests and the survival rate of plantation forest was commonly 55%.
Consequently, CO2 uptake by Indonesian Forest was estimated for each scenario as
illustrated in the tables below.

Table 3. Annual CO2 uptake by forests (high and low scenario)

Area (million), ha Carbon uptake CO2 uptake

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Category Forest type (10 ton C/year) (103 ton C/year)
High Low High Low High Low
scenario scenario scenario scenario scenario scenario
Natural Forest fallow 17,30 17,30 86,500 51,900 317,167 190,300
regeneration
Acacia spp 0,14 0,14 917 504 3,362 1,849
Eucalyptus spp 0,02 0,02 146 80 535 294
Pinus spp 0,97 0,97 5,065 2,786 18,572 10,215
Tectona grandis 1,85 1,85 6,847 3,766 25,106 13,805
Forest Other species 0,88 0,88 2,737 1,506 10,037 5,521
plantation
Mixed hard wood 0,20 0,20 616 339 2,258 1,242
Mixed fast 252 139 925 509
growing hard 0,04 0,04
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woods
Mixed softwood 0,02 0,02 125 69 460 253
Total 21,43 21,43 103,206 61,088 378,423 223,991
Source : Ginting et al (1995)

In the 1996, US-EPA Indonesia country study program reported the inventory of
greenhouse gases emission and sink in Indonesia. The study showed the result of calculation
using the IPCC guidelines within the framework below.

Figure 1. GHGs sources and sink and relationship among categories from forestry
sector in Indonesia (Anonymous, 1996)

Table 4. Sources and sink of GHG from Indonesia forestry sector

Gg
I. SOURCES CO2 CH4 CO N2O NOx
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A. Forest and Grassland Conversion

1. Immediate release from burning
a. on-site burning 124,170 542 4741 3,725 135
b. off-site burning 86456 377 3301 2,594 94
2. Delayed release from decay (10 46810
years)
B. Changes in forest and other woody
biomass
3. harvest from stock 41515
C. CO2 emission by soils from land
use change management
4. Emission from soils (25 years) 17604
Total emission 316556 919 8042 6 228
II. SINK
A. Forest and grassland conversion
1. Abandonment of managed lands - 4147
B. Changes in forest and other woody
biomass
2. Annual growth increment
TOTAL UPTAKE -1238525 0 0 0 0
Source : Anonymous (1996)

The highest carbon emission takes places in forest fire as that shown by the highest
emission rate of on that site biomass (124,170 Gg CO2)

For the grassland and forest burning is practiced for their purposes. The first is for
getting young shoot of the grasses for animal feeding. The second is for hunting deer, since
in the burned areas the deer come for feeding, and the third is for removing the nest of wild
pigs and rats. Based on surveys conducted in West Kalimantan, South Sumatera, and North
Sumatera, it was estimated that 0,06 % of total area of grassland was burn every year. Total
area of grassland in Indonesia was about 10,2 million ha. Thus the average area of grassland
burn was 6.120 ha per year.
In opening forest for timber estate plantation, transmigration and agroforestry,
burning in commonly practice in land preparation. However, since 1995 this practice has
been restricted by government. Thus the GHG emission from on-site burning would be ……
A study conducted by Priyatna et al., (1996) in 60 years. Tectona grandis and 30 years Pinus
merkusii forest showed that after logging most of small branches were used by the farmer for
fuel, while for the branches with diameter of less than 5 cm as well as roots, leaves and fruits
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were left in the field, which are subjected to decomposition. Based on Priyatna et al., (1996)
and Ruhiyat findings (1995), it can be assumed that in opening forest for other uses, about 10
– 15% of total biomass will be used for fuel, while about 20 – 40 % of total biomass will be
decomposed.
FAO (1990) has reported about forest fire mostly occurs every year. This biggest
forest fire occurred in 1982 that is East Kalimantan. The fired area was 3,2 million hectare.
This fire was difficult to control due to the long period of dry season and the presence of coal
in the soil. Based on the forest fire data from 1984 – 1993, it was showed that the average of
forest fire was about 32,3 thousand ha per year. The area of forest fire occurred in 1991 as
well as 1994 were recorded as the year with the longest dry season. Rainfall in dry season in
1991 was about 52 % of normal. If the data of 1991 was excluded from the analysis, the
average area of forest fire was about 22,7 thousand ha per year, much lower than that
reported by FAO.
Reported by US-EPA Indonesia Country Study Program (1996) the average forest
fire in the country is approximately 100.000 ha. The government have tried to reduce forest
by establishing several policies, i.e :
1. Since 1995 the government do not allow to use fire in land preparation
2. To establish monitoring of fire hazard and provide instrument and increase fire
brigade
In 1980, Indonesia is believed to release 192 million ton carbon (i.e. 704,000 Gg CO2) as
a result of excessive logging operations, deforestation and inadequate establishment of new
forest plantation. But based the result US-EPA Indonesia Country Study Program, the total
emission is 316,556 Gg CO2 per year (table) with the highest rate from biomass burning both
on-site and off-site fuel.
Generally the main GHG emission in 1990 were coming from CO2followed by CH4.
The main GHG emission in Indonesia are CO2 from biomass burning (forestry sector),
energy activities and industrial process as well as CH4 emission from agricultural activities,
fugitive emission from oil and gas production and land use and forestry. Forestry is the net
sink for CO2.
As Comparing energy utilization in accordance with improve Indonesian economy
produced and emitted those gases in the amounts of 150,650 Gg CO2, 1830 Gg CO, 542 Gg
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CH4 and 496 Gg NOx. The energy industry and transportation as the important economic
sector are the major contributor to CO2 emission from fossil fuel combustion, with gasoline
as the major source of CO2. Other important sector are residential, commercial and mining.
Its sink in forestry offsets the main GHG emission in Indonesia from energy activities
sources are CH4 about 4,568 Gg, considering that CO2. The greatest contributor of CH4
emission is the rice management (2,758 Gg) followed by domestic livestock (864 Gg). The
overall emission and uptakes of GHG from various sector in Indonesia during 1990. Showed
on table bellows :

Table 5. Summary of overall GHG emissions and sinks in Indonesia

Sector Gg
CO2 CH4 N2O NOx CO
Energy
Energy Industry Combustion 23214 2.8 0.1 61.9 31
Stationary sources
Fugitive 37522
Oil + Natural gas 518.3
Coal mining 8.2
Industry 33769 1.2 72.1 11
Transport 35460 9.6 0.7 347 1784
Residence &
commerce 20685 1.4 0.0 14.8 4
Non Energy
Agriculture
Rice management 2758.0 34.33
Fertilizer
Burning of residue 26.8 0.63 22.8 564.4
Domestic livestock 864.4
Forestry On-site burning 124170 542 3.725 135 4741
Off-site burning 86456 377 2.594 94 3301
Delayed release from 46810
decay
Abandoned land - 4147
Harvest from stock 41515
Annual growth -1234378
Soil emission 17604
GHG Sources Energy 150650 542 0.8 496 1830
Non Energy 316555 4568 41.3 252 8606
GHG Sink Non energy -1238525
Net Emission of GHG -771.320 5.40 42.1 748 10436
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Source : US-EPA Indonesia Country Study Program (1996) The State Ministry of
Environment Republic Indonesia.

Reference

1. Anonym0us, 1991
2. Anonymous, 1992
3. Anonymous, 1993
4. Anonymous, 1996
5. FAO, 1996
6. Fisher, D. 1990
7. Gintings, A.N dkk., 1995
8. Hao et al., 1990
9. Houghton et al., 1990
10. IPCC/OECD. 1993
11. IPCC/OECD. 1994
12. ITFAP. 1992.
13. Kyrklund, B. 1990
14. Priyatna et al., 1996
15. Quay P.D et al., 1992
16. Ruhiyat, D., 1995
17. US-EPA. 1994