Publication Date:
2011-06-22
Description:
Success of the emerging Low Emissions Development paradigm in Southeast Asia depends on mitigating impacts of oil palm (OP) expansion on carbon-dense ecosystems, especially tropical peatlands. To this end, Koh et al. (1) mapped OP planted before 2002 across Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo to estimate emissions and biodiversity losses from peatland conversion (≈880,000 ha). Unfortunately, emissions scenarios are oversimplified, remote-sensing (RS) methods are unsuitable for OP monitoring, and recommendations for peatland restoration are overstated.The article risks misinforming national and international climate change policies under development.Koh et al. overestimated emissions from aboveground biomass (AGB) conversion to OP (136 million MgC)...
Keywords:
Letters, Sustainability Science
Print ISSN:
0027-8424
Electronic ISSN:
1091-6490
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
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