The Atmospheric Concentration of Common Greenhouse Gases in the Pulpwood Plantation in Riau Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Pulp and paper wood plantations are one of the substantial forestry estates in Indonesia that are usually integrated with a pulp and paper mill industry. The atmospheric condition of glasshouse gases that keep increasing primarily due to anthropogenic activities represent critical issues on human health and affect forest productivity. Therefore this study measured the atmospheric concentration of common glasshouse gases in the pulpwood plantation integrated with a pulp mill in Riau Province. Overly high concentration of some glasshouse gases in the atmosphere may cause issues and at an extreme level, may lead to the occurrence of acid rain that could affect forest health and productivity. This study employed the Ogawa Passive Sampler Method to determine the air concentration of common glasshouse gases, i.e., [SOx], [NOx], [NO2], and [O3] in different rotations and stand ages of Acacia crassicarpa and Eucalyptus pellita stands. The results showed that species, rotation age, and stand age affect the concentration of gaseous N in the plantations. The concentrations of [NOx] and [NO2] gases were higher in the old rotation than in the young rotation of A. crassicarpa stands. Those concentrations were also relatively higher in peat soil sites than in non-peat soil sites.