TY - JOUR

T1 - Carbon stock of oil palm plantations and tropical forests in Malaysia

T2 - A review

AU - Kho, Lip Khoon

AU - Jepsen, Martin Rudbeck

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - In Malaysia, the main land change process is the establishment of oil palm plantations on logged-over forests and areas used for shifting cultivation, which is the traditional farming system. While standing carbon stocks of old-growth forest have been the focus of many studies, this is less the case for Malaysian fallow systems and oil palm plantations. Here, we collate and analyse Malaysian datasets on total carbon stocks for both above- and below-ground biomass. We review the current knowledge on standing carbon stocks of 1) different forest ecosystems, 2) areas subject to shifting cultivation (fallow forests) and 3) oil palm plantations. The forest ecosystems are classified by successional stage and edaphic conditions and represent samples along a forest succession continuum spanning pioneer species in shifting cultivation fallows to climax vegetation in old-growth forests. Total carbon stocks in tropical forests range from 4 to 384MgC/ha, significantly wider than the range of total carbon stocks of oil palm plantations, 2 to 60MgC/ha. Conversion of old-growth forest areas to oil palm plantations leads to substantial reduction in carbon storage, while conversion of forest fallows to oil palm plantations may sustain or even increase the standing carbon stock.

AB - In Malaysia, the main land change process is the establishment of oil palm plantations on logged-over forests and areas used for shifting cultivation, which is the traditional farming system. While standing carbon stocks of old-growth forest have been the focus of many studies, this is less the case for Malaysian fallow systems and oil palm plantations. Here, we collate and analyse Malaysian datasets on total carbon stocks for both above- and below-ground biomass. We review the current knowledge on standing carbon stocks of 1) different forest ecosystems, 2) areas subject to shifting cultivation (fallow forests) and 3) oil palm plantations. The forest ecosystems are classified by successional stage and edaphic conditions and represent samples along a forest succession continuum spanning pioneer species in shifting cultivation fallows to climax vegetation in old-growth forests. Total carbon stocks in tropical forests range from 4 to 384MgC/ha, significantly wider than the range of total carbon stocks of oil palm plantations, 2 to 60MgC/ha. Conversion of old-growth forest areas to oil palm plantations leads to substantial reduction in carbon storage, while conversion of forest fallows to oil palm plantations may sustain or even increase the standing carbon stock.

KW - Above-ground biomass

KW - Below-ground biomass

KW - Carbon stock

KW - Oil palm

KW - Standing biomass

KW - Tropical forest

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84929431490&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/sjtg.12100

DO - 10.1111/sjtg.12100

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84929431490

VL - 36

SP - 249

EP - 266

JO - Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography

JF - Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography

SN - 0129-7619

IS - 2

ER -