This is part of a series of articles on market transformation in the pulp and paper and palm oil sectors in Indonesia.

Small-holder clearing for oil palm
Indonesia’s Riau Province on the island of Sumatra has experienced rapid deforestation since the early 1990’s, with primary forest cover plummeting by 85 percent in twenty years. Most of this forest loss has been driven by plantation development for timber, woodpulp, and palm oil production.
In February 2014, Mongabay participated in an overflight along the Malacca Strait and back to Pekanbaru. Below are some pictures from the flight, including timber concessions that supply Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), oil palm plantations, logging concessions, and natural forests.
A Google Map showing the specific location of photos is available here. A resolution slideshow is available at Zenfolio. All of these photos, plus 2300 more, will be formally captioned, georeferenced, and posted on Mongabay soon.
Pictures of deforestation, forests, and plantations in Riau
Deforestation:

Forest clearing

Forest clearing

Clearing near Bakau Selat Dumai

Clearing near Bakau Selat Dumai
Natural forests and peatlands:

Peat forest in the Giam Siak Kecil-Bukit Batu landscape

Forest in Bukit Batu

Forest in Bukit Batu

Peatland in Giam Siak Kecil biosphere reserve

Conservation area within PT Sekato Pratama Makmur’s concession

Conservation area within PT Sekato Pratama Makmur’s concession

Conservation area within PT Sekato Pratama Makmur’s concession

Peat forest within PT Suntara Gajapati’s concession. APP says it wants to protect this block of forest but is facing objections from a local community that wants to clear it for oil palm.

Swamp forest within PT Suntara Gajapati’s

Peat swamp forest within PT Suntara Gajapati’s

Jungle rubber and forest managed by a local community

Bukit Batu

Bukit Batu

Riau forest

Rainforest

PT Bukit Batu Hutan Alam concession
Established acacia plantations:

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Acacia plantation

Cleared forest within PT Suntara Gajapati’s concession

Forest fragment that appears to be within PT Suntara Gajapati’s concession

PT Bukit Batu Hutan Alam concession
Deforestation for oil palm plantations:


Area of peat forest that appears to have been cleared for oil palm

Encroachment for oil palm

Logs that will be floated downstream to a mill

Small-holder clearing for oil palm

Small-holder clearing for oil palm

Small-holder clearing for oil palm

Small-holder clearing for oil palm

Small-holder clearing for oil palm

Small-holder clearing for oil palm

Small-holder clearing for oil palm

Small-holder clearing for oil palm

Small-holder clearing for oil palm

Illegal encroachment into GSK for oil palm

Oil palm

Oil palm plantation

Oil palm plantation

Oil palm plantation