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