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Managing Fire Risk During Drought: The Influence of Certification and El Nino on Fire-Driven Forest Conversion for Oil Palm in Southeast AsiaIndonesia and Malaysia have emerged as leading producers of palm oil in the past several decades, expanding production through the conversion of tropical forests to industrial plantations. Efforts to produce "sustainable" palm oil, including certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), include guidelines designed to reduce the environmental impact of palm oil production. Fire-driven deforestation is prohibited by law in both countries and a stipulation of RSPO certification, yet the degree of environmental compliance isunclear, especially during El Niño events when drought conditions increase fire risk. Here, we used time series of satellite data to estimate the spatial and temporal patterns of fire-driven deforestation on and around oil palm plantations. In Indonesia, fire-driven deforestation accounted for one-quarter of total forest losses on both certified and noncertified plantations. After the first plantations in Indonesia received RSPO certification in 2009,forest loss and fire-driven deforestation declined on certified plantations but did not stop altogether. Oil palm expansion in Malaysia rarely involved fire; only 5 % of forest loss on certified plantations had coincident activefire detections. Interannual variability in fire detections was strongly influenced by El Nino and the timing of certification. Fire activity during the 2002, 2004, and 2006 El Nino events was similar among oil palm plantations in Indonesia that would later become certified, noncertified plantations, and surrounding areas. However, total fire activity was 75% and 66% lower on certified plantations than noncertified plantations during the 2009 and 2015 El Nino events, respectively. The decline in fire activity on certified plantations, including during drought periods, highlights the potential for RSPO certification to safeguard carbon stocks in peatlands and remaining forests in accordance with legislation banning fires. However, aligning certification standards with satellite monitoring capabilities will be critical to realize sustainable palm oil production and meet industry commitments to zero forestation.
Document ID
20180002442
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Noojipady, Praveen
(Maryland Univ. Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Morton, Douglas C.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Schroeder, Wilfrid
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Carlson, Kimberly M.
(Hawaii Univ. Honolulu, HI, United States)
Huang, Chengquan
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Gibbs, Holly K.
(Wisconsin Univ. Madison, WI, United States)
Burns, David
(National Wildlife Federation Washington, DC, United States)
Walker, Nathalie F.
(National Wildlife Federation Washington, DC, United States)
Prince, Stephen D.
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
April 17, 2018
Publication Date
August 21, 2017
Publication Information
Publication: Earth System Dynamics
Publisher: European Geosciences Union (EGU)
Volume: 8
Issue: 3
ISSN: 2190-4979
e-ISSN: 2190-4987
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN51996
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX17AE79A
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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