Research Method- Ahmad Medapri-dd9

8/2/2019 Research Method- Ahmad Medapri-dd9

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THE IMPACT OF PALM OIL PLANTATION TO THE EXISTENCE

OF LIMITED PRODUCTION FOREST

Case Study : Limited Production Forest Area in Muko-Muko Regency

Background of Research :

Major economy in the Bengkulu Province on the island of Sumatra comes from the

plantation sector such as coffee, rubber and palm oil. One major area of oil palm plantations

in particular, located in the Mukomuko Regency in the northern of Bengkulu Province. These

oil palm plantations are owned by the public as well as plantation companies. Although useful

in economics, development of plantations also gives an influence on the existence of forests,

in particular, limited production forest. Every year there are change functions of forests into

oil palm plantations.

Under the regulations of the Minister of Forestry, Right of Cultivate is the right to use

land that directly controlled by the state. This is granted for a maximum of 20,000 hectares of

the province for 35 years and can be extended for 25 years. Currently in Bengkulu Province,

there are 16 of 50 Right of Cultivate in neglected condition, with area about 3000 hectares.

The problem is, most of these Rrights of Cultivate are granted in the areas that included

in the category of limited production forest. Limited Production Forest is an area that can only

be exploited by selective logging (Law Number 41 of 1999). Deforestation and forest

degradation can cause biodiversity to decline, Release of greenhouse gas emissions, Disrupted

water cycles, Increased soil erosion, Disrupted livelihoods (WWF). As a result, the existence

of limited production forest to be disrupted due to changes in its function. In 2010, Bengkulu

Province has 435,116 hectares plantation area mostly for Palm Oil Plantation in the area of

Limited Production Forest.

This research aims to determine what the impact caused by the change of the forest of

limited production forest to oil palm plantations. Also to determine the various alternatives

Lecture : Research Method

Lecturer : Leksono P.S

Student : Ahmad Medapri H/ DD9 M


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that can be done to reduce these negative impacts. Right of Cultivate not only provides an

opportunity to change the function of the forest but also cause a variety of social and

environmental issues.

Problem Statement :

The development of oil palm plantations in Muko-Muko Regency has had effect on the

existence of limited production forest. When the Limited Production Forest Area converted to

plantations or agricultural land, it will affects the environment and social life of society.

Research Objectives :

In this research, the research objectives that would be achieved are :

1. To know how the development of palm oil plantations in Mukomuko Regency.2. To know how the existence of limited production forest area in Mukomuko Regency.3. To find the impacts of the development of palm oil plantations on the Limited

Production Forest.

4. To know what should be done to protect the existence of limited production forest inMukomuko Regency.

Literature Review :

1. Palm Oil Plantation1.1Plantation

A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are

grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption.

Industrial plantations are established to produce a high volume of wood in a short

period of time. Industrial plantations are actively managed for the commercial

production of forest products. Industrial plantations are usually large-scale.

Individual blocks are usually even-aged and often consist of just one or two species.


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These species can be exotic or indigenous. The plants used for the plantation are

often genetically altered for desired traits such as growth and resistance to pests and

diseases in general and specific traits, for example in the case of timber species,

volumic wood production and stem straightness. Forest genetic resources are the

basis for genetic alteration. Selected individuals grown in seed orchards are a good

source for seeds to develop adequate planting material.

Wood production on a tree plantation is generally higher than that of natural

forests. While forests managed for wood production commonly yield between 1 and

3 cubic meters per hectare per year, plantations of fast-growing species commonly

yield between 20 and 30 cubic meters or more per hectare annually; a Grand Fir

plantation at Craigvinean in Scotland has a growth rate of 34 cubic meters per

hectare per year (Aldhous & Low, 1974), and Monterey Pine plantations in southern

Australia can yield up to 40 cubic meters per hectare per year (Everard & Fourt,

1974). In 2000, while plantations accounted for 5% of global forest, it is estimated

that they supplied about 35% of the world's roundwood ("Forest loss". United

Nations System-wide Earthwatch. United Nations Environment Programme, 2010).

1.2Palm OilPalm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm (Reeves, James B.;

Weihrauch, John L.; Consumer and Food Economics Institute, 1979). Palm oil is

naturally reddish in color because it contains a high amount of beta-carotene. It is a

common cooking ingredient in the tropical belt of Africa, Southeast Asia and parts of

Brazil.

As of 2009, Indonesia was the largest producer of palm oil, surpassing Malaysia

in 2006, producing more than 20.9 million tonnes. Indonesia aspires to become the

world's top producer of palm oil (Indonesia: Palm Oil Production Prospects Continue

to Grow, December 31, 2007, USDA-FAS, Office of Global Analysis) But at the end

of 2010, 60 percent of the output was exported still in the form of Crude Palm Oil.

FAO data show production increased by over 400% between 19942004, to over 8.66

million metric tonnes.


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2. DeforestationDeforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter

converted to a nonforest use (SAFnet Dictionary/Definition For deforestation:

Dictionaryofforestry.org, 2008-07-29).

Examples of deforestation include conversion offorestland to farms, ranches, or urban use. Deforestation occurs for many reasons: trees or

derived charcoal are used as, or sold, for fuel or as timber, while cleared land is used as

pasture for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. The removal of trees

without sufficient reforestation has resulted in damage to habitat, biodiversity loss and

aridity. It has adverse impacts on biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Deforestation in Indonesia has been a massive environmental impact on the country,

home to some of the most biologically diverse forests in the world, ranking third behind

Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo.As late as 1900, Indonesia was still a

densely forested country with the total forest representing 84 per cent of the total land

area. Deforestation intensified in the 1970s (ABC Four Corners:Background information

on Indonesia, deforestation and illegal logging, Retrieved 28 May 2010) and

continuously accelerated since then. As a result, the estimated forest cover of 170 million

ha around 1900 decreased to 98 million ha by the end of the 20th century, at least half of

which is believed to be degraded by human activity. At present rates, tropical rainforests

in Indonesia would be logged out in 10 years.

Indonesias lowland tropical forests, the richest in timber resources and bi odiversity,

are most at risk. By 2000 they have been almost entirely cleared in Sulawesi, and

predicted to disappear within few years in Sumatra and Kalimantan (Matthews, Emilly :

'The State of Forests Indonesia, Bogor 2002).

In Sumatra tens of thousands of square kilometres of forest have been cleared often

under the command of the central government who comply with multi national

companies to remove the forest (BBC News : Losing land to palm oil in Kalimantan,, 3

August 2007).


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3. The Impact of the palm oil plantationPalm oil producers have been accused of various human-rights violations, from low

pay and poor working conditions to theft of land and murder. However, some social

initiatives use palm oil profits to finance poverty alleviation strategies.

Palm oil production has been documented as a cause of substantial and often

irreversible damage to the natural environment (Clay Jason, World Agriculture and the

Environment, 2004) Its impacts include: habitat loss of critically endangered species such

as the Orangutan and Sumatran Tiger, and a significant increase in greenhouse gas

emissions.

The negative impact on the environment becomes more serious because in practice, oil

palm plantation development not only in forest conversion, but also built on a production

forest, protected forest, and even in conservation areas which have a unique ecosystem

and has a high biodiversity value (Manurung, 2000; Potter and Lee, 1998).

Research Methodology :

Field research

This method related to the effort of collecting data and also discussion and interviewswith stakeholders regional authorities and residents around the plantation. Those data are

Spatial Regulation, Forestry Regulation, region income, Statutes, the result of interview and

other related data.

Librarian research

In order to have the real ovarview about the research theme, the librarian research will

help to construct theoritical base as the guide-line to come to thesis statement and conclution.

Variables for instances :

National environment strategies, National forestry strategies, environmentalimpact assessment guidelines, sector development plans

Regulation and standards (conservation laws, forestryr laws, environment laws,land use)


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Natural resources dataforestry, hydrology, nature conservation, climate/air, soilsand water resources.

Time Series Analysis

This analysis is needed to show and prove the correlation between dependent variables

and independent variables by using statistical tools of analysis. It also will help to analize the

variation of data, the trend and tendencies. some data to be analyzed are: the development of

oil palm plantation area, limited production forest area, the level of the economy in the last 10

years, the production of palm oil, etc.

Documents

Research Method- Ahmad Medapri-dd9