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For one of my classes, I had to write about a specific country and what is happening to it in terms of environmentally. In my case, I got Indonesia, and I realized that I had never knew so much about Indonesia and how it is being affected by deforestation due to palm oil production and how that affects the orangutan population. It is a really sad case because not only are natural sceneries being destroyed, but also many animal habitats too. Hopefully the deforestation in Indonesia will make people realize that deforestation is causing detrimental effects to the earth. Indonesia is known for its dynamic culture, fine cuisine, and tropical rainforests. However, what the people don’t know is that since 2008, Indonesia has been the world leader for palm oil production.1 A severely endangered species that has been majorly affected are the orangutans.2 The immense deforestation of Indonesian forests has caused native orangutans to lose 80 percent from their population in the past 75 years to a mere 6,600 orangutans today.3 Once regarded as a sustainable practice, palm oil production leads to habitat loss for endangered species, loss in biodiversity, and increase in deforestation.1
Though palm oil is used in cooking and cosmetics, its main use lies in biofuel.4 Indonesian biofuel practices are very unsustainable; vast stretches of forests are cut down, causing carbon-rich areas to release greenhouse gases from soil degradation and forest burning.4 Recent studies show that at this rate, it may take at least 220 years to make a plantation be carbon neutral.4 This process starts off with forest clearing, resulting in the loss of valuable hardwood timber like mahogany and sandalwood.2 Then the land gets emptied, where oil palm trees are planted in hazardous conditions involving toxic chemicals, which can lead to chemical runoff.2 Even though there are numerous bare lands that could be used for palm oil plantations, companies would rather have production on forested lands to gain more money from timber.4 For Ketapang, Indonesia, it is predicted that palm oil plantations will cause 40% of Ketapang’s deforestation, compared to 27% in 2007.4 Deforestation for palm oil plantations results in smoke pollution, temperature swings, land erosion, river pollution, species’ habitat loss, and less greenhouse gases absorption.5
Due to palm oil plantations causing deforestation, the Sumatran orangutans lose their habitats.3 Such species’ habitat loss occurs all over Indonesia, for example in Sumatra, there are only about 6,600 orangutans alive.6 More than 50,000 orangutans have died due to deforestation from palm oil production in the last twenty years.2 Such deaths include getting run over by logging mechanisms, put on fire, beat to death, or shot by hunters.2 Deforestation allows the occurrence of edge effects, as a result of corridors, and creates patches of forests hence making species’ habitats smaller.7 Consequently, this makes orangutan mating tougher because male orangutans must travel through dangerous terrain in order to bond with female orangutans from different areas.6 Orangutans are keystone species since they spread tree seeds from their feces; they help preserve the forest ecosystem and sustain biodiversity.2 Researchers believe that if this Sumatran deforestation trend continues, the Sumatran orangutans could be extinct in the range of 3 to 12 years, while their habitat could be decimated in 20 years.2 Indonesia needs immediate, strong enforcement on their laws to terminate unsustainable practices that clear protected forests that should not have been touched.4 With a contribution of efforts, more publicity should be placed on this issue such as a ban needs to be installed regarding products containing palm oil. This could end the deforestation of pristine rainforests and the killings of innocent, endangered orangutans in Indonesia. Orangutans cannot decide their fate, but we can make a difference in saving their species. The choice is ours.
Though palm oil is used in cooking and cosmetics, its main use lies in biofuel.4 Indonesian biofuel practices are very unsustainable; vast stretches of forests are cut down, causing carbon-rich areas to release greenhouse gases from soil degradation and forest burning.4 Recent studies show that at this rate, it may take at least 220 years to make a plantation be carbon neutral.4 This process starts off with forest clearing, resulting in the loss of valuable hardwood timber like mahogany and sandalwood.2 Then the land gets emptied, where oil palm trees are planted in hazardous conditions involving toxic chemicals, which can lead to chemical runoff.2 Even though there are numerous bare lands that could be used for palm oil plantations, companies would rather have production on forested lands to gain more money from timber.4 For Ketapang, Indonesia, it is predicted that palm oil plantations will cause 40% of Ketapang’s deforestation, compared to 27% in 2007.4 Deforestation for palm oil plantations results in smoke pollution, temperature swings, land erosion, river pollution, species’ habitat loss, and less greenhouse gases absorption.5
Due to palm oil plantations causing deforestation, the Sumatran orangutans lose their habitats.3 Such species’ habitat loss occurs all over Indonesia, for example in Sumatra, there are only about 6,600 orangutans alive.6 More than 50,000 orangutans have died due to deforestation from palm oil production in the last twenty years.2 Such deaths include getting run over by logging mechanisms, put on fire, beat to death, or shot by hunters.2 Deforestation allows the occurrence of edge effects, as a result of corridors, and creates patches of forests hence making species’ habitats smaller.7 Consequently, this makes orangutan mating tougher because male orangutans must travel through dangerous terrain in order to bond with female orangutans from different areas.6 Orangutans are keystone species since they spread tree seeds from their feces; they help preserve the forest ecosystem and sustain biodiversity.2 Researchers believe that if this Sumatran deforestation trend continues, the Sumatran orangutans could be extinct in the range of 3 to 12 years, while their habitat could be decimated in 20 years.2 Indonesia needs immediate, strong enforcement on their laws to terminate unsustainable practices that clear protected forests that should not have been touched.4 With a contribution of efforts, more publicity should be placed on this issue such as a ban needs to be installed regarding products containing palm oil. This could end the deforestation of pristine rainforests and the killings of innocent, endangered orangutans in Indonesia. Orangutans cannot decide their fate, but we can make a difference in saving their species. The choice is ours.
