Conversion Of Forest Areas Research Articles

Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI)- A Real Indicator of Economic Progress

Increase in Gross Domestic Product, Gross National Product etc. which are so highly advertised and publicized by media and other governmental and non-governmental organizations do not necessarily reflect the ground reality and status of well-being and development of the economy of a nation. It is quite conservative in its approach and hence another economic indicator namely Genuine Progress Indicator was proposed by the economic think tank of America to lay down a more scientific and realistic way. In contrast to GDP, the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) lays great emphasis on long-term environmental problems and considers it as a cost that is subtracted from GDP to obtain GPI. Despite the warning by environmentalists that if the present state of fossil consumption, conversion of forest areas into habitats, the opening of poisonous chemical industries and establishment of new but very dangerous nuclear power reactors for energy production is continued, it is impossible for mankind or say whole living being to survive in near future. Humanity has already heavily suffered the tragedy of Union Carbide at Bhopal in India, the great Chornobyl tragedy of the USSR, the complete destruction of mankind at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and presently the Tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption and atomic reactor leakage, Covid-19 pandemic etc. which are just a few blatant blows to serve as eye openers for economists, technologists and scientists to understand and realize the seriousness and also repeated warnings by nature. Some developed countries have revised their economic analyses system by attaching significant importance to GPI instead of GDP. Environmental and social costs are considered in computation of GPI. Several studies have been done to measure GPI at the national level and sub-national levels. In this paper, attempts have been made to explain various outstanding characteristics of genuine progress indicator (GPI) and their relevance to socio-economic welfare in the present context. It is suggested that moral values, ethics and spirituality should be incorporated as a fourth factor in computation of GPI. This will certainly work as a tool to reduce socio-economic disparities and enhance overall wellbeing of society by adding spirituality and social ethics.

The Characteristics of Land Use in Kemiri-based Agroforestry Patterns in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi Province

One of the leading causes of global warming is land damage due to forest encroachment and the conversion of forest areas. One of the efforts to reduce the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations is maintaining carbon reserves by developing and improving forest vegetation. The agroforestry pattern can solve problems from both environmental and economic aspects in society. Candlenut plants are one of several types of plants that are usually used by applying the agroforestry model. Cenrana, Camba, Mallawa Districts, and Maros Regency are still developing and utilizing candlenut plants on community-owned land and in forest areas. This study aims to determine the spatial characteristics of the candlenut-based agroforestry pattern in Maros Regency. This research uses a quantitative method using remote sensing technology based on Google Earth Engine (GEE). The results of the study show that the agroforestry pattern in Maros Regency (Mallawa District, Camba District, Cenrana District) applies the Agrisilvicultural and Silvipastural patterns, apart from that the community's candlenut agroforestry land is located at a distance that can be reached by the community, namely 0-2 km outside the forest area. The composition of candlenut-based agroforestry and non-agroforestry patterns shows several crop combinations: horticulture, food, and plantations.

Threats faced by Humboldtia bourdillonii Prain (Magnoliopsida: Fabales: Fabaceae), an endangered tree endemic to the southern Western Ghats, India

Humboldtia bourdillonii is a threatened tree species, endemic to the Western Ghats. Recently, `the species has been facing serious ecological and man-made threats in its natural habitat. The tree is highly infested with insects—jumping thrips and weevils. H. bourdilloni has also an interaction with the Malabar Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica. Even though the fruits of this tree species are a food source for the squirrel, the animal spoils the fruits & seeds. Reduced visiting intensity of pollinators and irregularities in flowering & fruiting have affected the species. Conversion of forest areas into plantations, recent abnormal monsoon flooding in Kerala, and human activities have also negatively affected this species.

The Effectiveness of Remote Sensing Techniques for Land use Classification in Kota Belud, Sabah

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of remote sensing techniques in classifying land use types in Kota Belud, Sabah. Two classification techniques, unsupervised and supervised, were employed to ensure high accuracy of the land use data. Six land use types were classified, including paddy fields, bare land, water bodies, forest, urban areas, and oil palm plantations. This study found that the accuracy of land use classification for the years 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020 was 94%, 86%, 98.30%, and 91.60%, respectively. These results suggest that the supervised classification method was more effective in accurately classifying land use types compared to the unsupervised classification method. The final maps generated by both classification methods showed significant changes in land use over time. For instance, the expansion of paddy fields was observed in the study area, particularly from 1990 to 2020. The conversion of forest areas and bare land to paddy cultivation was in line with the National Agro-Food Policy 2021-2030, which aims to make Kota Belud a paddy granary. Overall, the study highlights the importance of remote sensing techniques in monitoring land use changes. The results provide valuable insights for policymakers and land use planners in making informed decisions to manage land resources sustainably.

Reverse Social Impact of Oil Palm Plantation Expansion: A Study of Three Communities in Jambi, Indonesia

Studies on the social impacts of oil palm development have focused on various communities with distinct characteristics. Due to the rarity of comparative investigations, this study aimed to examine the impact of oil palm plantation expansion on the Suku Anak Dalam, Jambi Malay, and the Javanese transmigrant, the three communities with different socio-economic characteristics. In-depth interviews and observations were conducted to understand the communities’ interaction and dependence on forest resources. The study also conducted a household census to assess 67 Malay and 66 Javanese transmigrant families. However, a household census could not be conducted to asses 45 families of the Suku Anak Dalam due to some limitations. This necessitated indirect data collection through the community leader. The results showed that the oil palm development significantly and negatively impacts the Suku Anak Dalam more than the Malay community and the Javanese transmigrant. The Suku Anak Dalam face difficulties in meeting their basic needs because the conversion of forest areas into oil palm plantations has reduced their access to these resources. In contrast, the Malay community and the Javanese transmigrants have enjoyed various benefits, such as ownership of oil palm gardens, employment opportunities as daily laborers, and partnerships with companies through the nucleus-plasma program. Therefore, it is crucial for the government to protect the Suku Anak Dalam community from the negative impacts of oil palm plantation development activities.

Quantification of Green Space Landscape Structure for Sustainable Land Use Planning in Pasir Mas, Kelantan

Globally, the amount of green space in urban areas has significantly decreased because of fast urban expansion. Urbanization may modify the spatial structure of a landscape and have an impact on its ecological function. The research aims to quantify the landscape structure changes of green space in the years 1994, 2004, and 2014 in Pasir Mas using remote sensing, GIS and landscape ecology approach. Three satellite images were classified into five land use land cover (LULC) which are forest, agriculture area, cleared land, water bodies and built-up area. The results show that the highest percentage of area in year 1994 is forest followed by agriculture, built up area and water bodies. However, in year 2014 the percentage of land use are vice versa. In the period from 1994 to 2004, 1.92% of forest was converted into built up areas in Pasir Mas district. However, in the period of year 2004 to 2014, the percentage of forest area that has been converted into built up area is increase about 4.32%. Forest shows significance increase in the transition into agriculture area by 49.63% in the year of 1994 and 2004. For the period of year 2004 and 2014, the conversion of forest area into agriculture area also in high percentage which is 17.66%. Landscape structure changes analysis show that there are significant changes of Euclidean nearest neighbour distance (MNN) indicating that there is fragmentation and isolation between patches. Similarly, the size and shape of forest patches also decreased indicating by percentage of area (PAREA) and landscape shape index (LSI). Therefore, using remote sensing, GIS, and landscape ecology, this project will help understand the spatial structure of green space and the impact of urban expansion in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, in order to give the knowledge necessary for sustainable land use planning.

Assessment of the Integrated Challenges of Sustainable Agricultural Systems

The evolutionary impact of the interdependence of the progress of the common economic policy in response to climate change, the current study and empirically explores the general challenges closely related to the productivity costs of agricultural systems. The vision of the tiered approach of the new Common Agricultural Policy to the effects of climate change, based on development areas, provides an important volume of information on the allocated financial resources in terms of adaptation to environmental conditions. Also, the importance of forest areas in plain areas in terms of protecting agricultural and forestry crops from climate variables is highlighted in the research. The evolution of the agricultural systems industry has been one of the main research points in Europe and not only knowing that agriculture is both a cause of greenhouse gas emissions but also a need to regulate these emissions at the ground level. Methodological data were extracted from the databases of available data provided by Eurostat, Agridata, and Corine. Since deforestation is a consequence of projections of forestry practices in relation to carbon capture, the evolution of land surfaces through the conversion of forest areas is a priority, the role of forest regenerations analyzed by the impact of GHG emissions,. The research highlights that agriculture faces a complex challenge of climate change due to its vulnerabilities to its effects, its role as a major source of GHG emissions and its potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Changes in Carbon Stocks and Chemical Attributes of an Oxisol as a Result of Adoption Period of No-tillage System in the Brazilian Eastern Amazon

The conversion of forest areas to grain cropping has promoted a decrease in soil organic matter stocks in the Amazon. This process is most striking when the conventional cultivation system is used. In order to evaluate the changes in soil carbon and nutrient stocks resulting from the time of adoption of the no tillage system in a dystrophic Yellow Oxisol of the Brazilian Amazon biome, a study was conducted in a grain producing area in the northeastern of Pará, Brazil. The treatments corresponded to the following systems: CT6- conventional tillage system with six years of implementation; No-tillage system with 3 (NT3), 4 (NT4) and 7 (NT7) years of implementation. All systems were always cultivated in corn / soybean rotation. Deformed and non-deformed soil samples were collected on a the 2013 crop year at 0-10, 10-20 and 20-40 cm depths. Stocks of carbon (SC) and phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) were calculated by using the equivalent soil mass methodology. Regardless of depth, the NT showed higher SC values than the CT. The adoption of NT showed a tendency of increasing SC of the soil over time. Such increases were up to 36% of the NT7 compared to the CT6. In NT7, the stocks of K, Ca and Mg were higher in relation to PC6. The EC correlated positively with the stocks of K, Ca and Mg in the areas under NT, regardless of the time of system adoption, up to 40 cm deep, indicating improvements in the soil fertility.

Pengelolaan Hutan Bersama Multistakeholder melalui Pengembangan Agroforestry Kopi Organik di Kawasan Hutan Darajat Kabupaten Garut

Salah satu penyebab bencana lingkungan yang terjadi akhir-akhir ini adalah alih fungsi kawasan hutan yang terjadi di daerah hulu aliran sungai. Seperti di kawasan hutan lindung Darajat Kabupaten Garut, alih fungsi Kawasan hutan menjadi lahan pertanian hortikultura terjadi secara cepat dan massif. Hal ini menyebabkan kerusakan lingkungan, pencemaran lingkungan dan rawan bencana alam seperti banjir longsor dan kebakaran hutan. Dengan semakin menurunnya daya dukung sumber daya hutan tersebut, maka diperlukan system pengelolaan kawasan hutan yang komprehensif, partisipatif dan berkelanjutan dengan pendekatan kemitraan, pengembangan ekonomi ,kelestarian lingkungan dan melibatkan stakeholder. 
 Pengelolaan Hutan Bersama Multistakeholder melalui pengembangan Agroforestry Kopi Organik merupakan salah satu alternatif dalam mengurangi alih fungsi kawasan hutan ,meningkatkan konservasi lingkungan dan mengurangi resiko bencana alam. Program yang dilaksanakan secara terintegrasi dan terpadu dimulai dari inventarisasi sumberdaya alam & hutan, Pemetaan kondisi sosial ekonomi masyarakat desa hutan, perencanaan bersama pengelolaan kawasan hutan dengan melibatkan Lembaga Masyarakat Desa Hutan (LMDH) dan stakeholder, melaksanakan program penyadaran pengelolaan lingkungan berbasis masyarakat, melaksanakan rehabilitasi dan konservasi di lahan yang kritis melalui alih komoditas alih lokasi dan alih profesi . Pendampingan teknis dan sosial, Monitoring dan evaluasi secara bersama dan berkala serta pengamanan kawasan hutan secara bersama. Semua itu dilaksanakan untuk mengembalikan fungsi kawasan hutan menjadi hutan lestari dan siaga bencana.

PENGELOLAAN LAHAN BERDASARKAN INDEKS BAHAYA EROSI DAN EKONOMISUB DAS PACANGKUDA HULU KOTA PALOPO

The main problem of damage to land resources in the Pacangkuda Hulu watershed is caused by erosion. Conversion of forest areas into cultivation areas and land management that does not apply the right soil conservation techniques is the cause. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of erosion, tolerated erosion (TSL), erosion hazard index (IBE), land management patterns and farming income in the Upper Pacangkuda watershed. This study uses a survey method of USLE method erosion prediction analysis. The results showed that the highest erosion was in shrub land use, which amounted to 696.424 tons / ha / year, while the lowest erosion was found in primary forest land use which was 2,350 tons / ha / year. The highest tolerated erosion was found in mixed plantation land use of 29.758 tons / ha / yr and the lowest was in shrub land use of 10.588 tons / ha / y ear . The highest erosion hazard index is found in shrub land use of 65.788 tons / ha / year with very high IBE criteria while the lowest erosion hazard index is secondary forest land use of 0.107 tons / ha / year with low IBE criteria. Land management and agrotechnology which are alternatives are Multiple cropping agriculture systems with gulud and bangku terrace conservation actions. Income from farming based on Sayogyo is still categorized as poor to very poor with income ranging from Rp. 9,074,076, / up to Rp. 12,799,764 / year / year. Compared with income based on Palopo City of Rp. 2,200,000, the farming income is still relatively low

Implikasi Perizinan Sektor Berbasis Lahan Terhadap Kondisi Kawasan Hutan Di Provinsi Riau

Forest resources can be utilized through various activities in the land-based sector, including forestry, plantations, and mining. The implications of the issuance of various permits are indicated to cause changes in the area of forest and land cover. This paper aims to analyze and explain the implications of the various land-based sector licenses that have been issued by the local government and the central government on the condition of forest areas in Riau Province. The research method was carried out with qualitative descriptive analysis, through interviews, spatial analysis, and review and tracking documents. The results of the study showed that during the period 1986-2017 there had been a change in the area of forest area and land cover. The biggest changes in forest areas occur due to the conversion of forest areas into plantations, while the largest land cover changes in successive classes are land cover for plantations (Pk), forest plantations (Ht) and mining (Pn). Some of the recommendations that we propose are the temporary dismissal of licenses in the Riau forest area, the rearrangement of all licenses related to forest areas, increasing integrity and willingness of all parties in Riau and the central government in sustainable forest management.

Independent Smallholder Oil Palm Expansion and Its Impact On Deforestation: Case Study in Kampar District, Riau Province, Indonesia

Independent smallholders who manage their own oil palm plantations without receiving technical assistance and agricultural inputs from oil palm estates or government have been increasing rapidly in Indonesia in recent years. However the magnitude of their impacts on tropical forest deforestation remains largely unevaluated. The objective of this study was to explore the history of land use, and the changes in land cover and status since the onset of oil palm plantation activities. The study was conducted from March to April 2016. Surveys were carried out in 30 ha of independent smallholder oil palm in Kampar District, Riau Province. To identify the land status, the Agreed functional forest classification (TGHK) and Provincial land use planning (RTRWP) maps were overlaid on images of the area of independent smallholder oil palm. Landsat images three years before oil palm was established were used to assess forest cover changes. Furthermore, oil palm smallholders and elders of the local community in the research area were interviewed to identify land use prior to oil palm. Our results showed that, based on land status, 47% of the area of independent smallholders’ oil palm derived from logged forest; that is the land changed in status from forest to oil palm plantation. The other 53% of oil palm area derived from non-forested land. The land use history before the establishment of independent smallholder oil palm mostly comprised general-purpose field activities and former forest-felling (forest concessions). The land cover before conversion into oil palm comprised rubber plantation, secondary forest, and shrub cover. From the results of our survey, we conclude that most of the oil palm plantations planted between 1990 and 2002 have their origins not in primary forest, but rather in degraded secondary forest, former fields, and shrub-land. These results imply that conversion of forest area into oil palm plantations is not the direct cause of deforestation in the tropical forests of Kampar, Riau Province.

GlobeLand30 shows little cropland area loss but greater fragmentation in China

Understanding of cropland dynamics in a large geographical extent is mostly based on observations of area change, while the changes in landscape pattern are hardly assessed. The total amount of cropland in China has remained relatively stable in recent years, which might suggest there was little change. In this analysis, we combine the number of cropland patches (NP) with the total cropland area (TA) for a more comprehensive characterization of cropland change in China. We use GlobeLand30–a global land cover dataset with a 30m resolution for the years 2000 and 2010–and characterize changes in TA and NP for each county as increase, stable, or decrease. This characterization shows that 703 out of 2420 counties experienced both cropland loss and increased fragmentation. The predominant cropland loss in these areas, especially in the North China Plain, is converted to artificial land. Another 212 are characterized by the opposite developments: an increase in cropland and decreased fragmentation. These counties, are mainly characterized by a conversion of forest areas and grassland areas. It suggests that the cropland conservation policy in China effectively protected the total cropland area in overall, but the consequences in terms of fragmentation might be underestimated. Counties with no obvious change in both indicators, measuring 279 counties, are mainly located in the Southeast. Our results are further compared with local level case studies: the fair consistency indicates alternatives of applying GlobeLand30 for analyzing landscape changes across scales and for cross-site comparisons.

Perubahan Penggunaan Lahan Di Provinsi Lampung Dan Pengaruhnya Terhadap Insidensi Demam Berdarah Dengue (DBD)

The conversion of forest area into non-forest area generally can causing the ecology and micro climate change especially rainfall. The impact of these changes in other side can increasing the probability in occurrence of vector-born disease such as Aedes aegypti mosquito couse of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF). Besides of environmental factors, poverty level, rainfall, and housing conditions the suspected also affect the incidence of dengue. This research aimed to determine of changes in forest cover and land, poverty level, and housing conditions as well as the impact to the incidence of dengue fever in Lampung. Data collected included primary data of land use changes of Lampung Province and the secondary data such as the data of precipitation rapid, poverty level, healthy house proportion and Incidence Rate of dengue. The dynamic of changes in forest cover and landper distric/city identified through by Landsat image interpretation 5, 7 and 8 in 2002, 2009 and 2014. While the impact on DHF analyzed using multiple linear models. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between the changes of the people forest cover -1,2634 (p=0,001), intensive agricultural 0,5315 (p=0,016), the number of precipitation rapid 0,06869 (p=0,087) and the poverty level -0,2213 (p=0,038) and urbanism region in the towns and villages 28,75 (p=0,010) toward the incidence of dengue in Lampung from the year 2003 to 2014. Based on the reseacrh result that the goverment should be able to increase the percentage of forest area cause able to decrease the incidence DHF. Keyword: forest conversion, incidence DHF, land use changes

<b>MODEL PERUBAHAN PENGGUNAAN LAHAN DAN PENDUGAAN CADANGAN KARBON DI DAERAH ALIRAN SUNGAI CISADANE, JAWA BARAT</b><br><i>LANDUSE CHANGE MODEL AND CARBON STOCK ESTIMATION IN CISADANE WATERSHED, WEST JAVA</i>

<div>Land use and land cover in Cisadane Watershed are very vulnerable to switch over, which is caused by the </div><div>high rate of population growth. Land use and land cover change cause the carbon stock changes. These changes were analysed using the logistic regression models, and in this analysis we used land use maps in 2001 and 2006. As many as 44 regression equations were developed with various values of determination coefficient (R</div><div>2</div><div>); 14% of the R</div><div>2</div><div> was less than 0.50, 29% was between 0.50 and 0.75, and 57% is than 0.75. Statistically, there were 31 equations suitable to generate landuse map in 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2025. The amount of carbon stocks in Cisadane Watershed until the year 2025 tend to decrease, so the sum of carbon emissions in the atmosphere increased. This was mainly due to conversion of forest area into other landuse types. Land use and land cover in Cisadane Watershed are very vulnerable to switch over, which is caused by the high rate of population growth. Land use and land cover change cause the carbon stock changes. These changes were analysed using the logistic regression models, and in this analysis we used land use maps in 2001 and 2006. As many as 44 regression equations were developed with various values of determination coefficient (R2); 14% of the R2 was less than 0.50, 29% was between 0.50 and 0.75, and 57% is than 0.75. Statistically, there were 31 equations suitable to generate landuse map in 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2025. The amount of carbon stocks in Cisadane Watershed until the year 2025 tend to decrease, so the sum of carbon emissions in the atmosphere increased. This was mainly due to conversion of forest area into other landuse types. </div>

Temporal mapping of deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal: Applications to forest conservation

Deforestation and forest degradation are associated and progressive processes resulting in the conversion of forest area into a mosaic of mature forest fragments, pasture, and degraded habitat. Monitoring of forest landscape spatial structures has been recommended to detect degenerative trends in forest conditions. GIS and remote sensing play an important role in the generation of such data to identify degraded and deforested areas as well as potential areas for conservation. In this study we analyzed forest degradation and deforestation trends in Chitwan district in Nepal, which contains key habitat elements for wildlife in the region. An artificial neural network was used to predict forest canopy density in five classes using Landsat images of the year 2001. Forest canopy density was predicted with 82% overall accuracy. Except riverine forest, forest area of all other forest types was reduced. Terai Shorea robusta forest, which has high commercial value, showed a loss of 23% between 1976 and 1989 and an overall loss of 15% forest covers between the year 1976 and 2001. Deforestation and forest degradation disproportionately reduced the sizes of the different forest types, a finding that has important management implications. The maps presented in this article could be useful to prioritize limited resources for conservation.

Frontier Expansion and Economic Development

I. INTRODUCTION Finding new frontiers or reserves of natural resources to exploit has been the basis of much of global economic development for the past 500 years (Cipolla, 1976; di Tella, 1982; North and Thomas, 1973; Toynbee, 1978; Webb, 1964). Such frontier-based economic development is characterized by pattern of capital investment, technological innovation, and social and economic institutions dependent on opening up new frontiers of natural resources once existing ones have been and exhausted (di Tella, 1982; Findlay, 1995; Findlay and Lundahl, 1994). However, recognition of the role of the frontier in development has only occurred over the past century, beginning with the first frontier thesis on American development as put forward by Frederick Jackson Turner. (1) Turner's frontier thesis was further extended by Walter Prescott Webb to explain not just American but global economic development over the 1500-1900 period of world history. (2) In recent decades, historians, geographers, and social scientists have continued to modify the Turner-Webb frontier thesis to describe processes of frontier-based development in many areas of the world, including Latin America, Russia, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand (Hennessy, 1978; Savage and Thompson, 1979; Wieczynski, 1976; Wolfskill and Palmer, 1983). Although there is considerable debate over whether the original thesis envisioned by Turner and Webb is still relevant for all frontier regions, there is general consensus over both the definition of frontier and its significance in terms of economic development: A frontier area is assumed to be a geographic region adjacent to the unsettled portions of the continent in which man-land ratio and unusually abundant, unexploited, natural resources provide an exceptional opportunity for social and economic betterment to the small-propertied individual (Billington, 1966, p. 25). Or, as di Tella (1982, p. 212) has put it more succinctly, throughout history processes of frontier-based development were characterized by the initial existence of abundant land, mostly unoccupied, and by substantial migration of capital and people. Today, frontier-based economic development is very much prevalent in many developing regions of the world, which still have abundant, mainly forested lands and other natural resources at their disposal. Although Webb's Great Frontier may have closed at the turn of the twentieth century, frontier areas of various sizes, characterized by low man-land ratio and unusually abundant, unexploited, natural resources, still exist throughout the developing world. Exploitation and conversion of these frontier reserves clearly influence the overall pattern of economic development. For example, many low-income and lower-middle-income economies not only rely principally on direct exploitation of their natural resources through primary industries (e.g., agriculture, forestry, fishing, etc.) but also over 50% or more of their export earnings come from few primary commodities (World Bank, 1992). Natural capital--the value of the natural resource endowment of country--is particularly important in the developing world. For low-income countries dependent on export revenues from primary commodities (other than petroleum), 20% of their national wealth comprises natural capital (World Bank, 1997). (3) These economies are also experiencing dramatic land use changes--especially conversion of forest area and wetlands to agriculture--that are symptomatic of classic frontier expansion processes (FAO, 1997). Over 1970-90, for developing countries, 47% of the increase in crop production in Sub-Saharan Africa, 48% in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 41% in East Asia (excluding China) has come from increases in harvested land area, and these trends are projected to continue until 2010 at least (FAO, 1995; Fischer and Heilig, 1997). However, there is also evidence that the process of frontier-based economic development in many small open developing countries today may not be generating as prodigious or as sustained an economic boom as the Turner-Webb frontier thesis would predict. …

Estimation of soil organic carbon turnover using natural 13C abundance in asian tropics: A case study in the Philippines

The organic carbon (C) content and natural 13C abundance (Σ13C) of two series of forest and sugarcane soils from Central Luzon and Negros Island in the Philippines were analyzed to determine the origin and turnover of soil organic C in the Asian tropics. The organic C contents and Σ13C values were investigated after a long period (years) of sugarcane cultivation following forest clearing. Conversion of forest areas to field for sugarcane cultivation had been associated with a rapid decrease of the soil organic C content and increase of the soil Σ13C values. The easily mineralisable compartment accounted for 95 and 98.5% of forest- derived C and the half-lives were 1.2 and 1.8 years in Central Luzon and on Negros Island, respectively. On the other hand, sugarcane-derived C accumulation accounted for 25 and 22% of the soil organic C content of natural forests.