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SOC Stock Changes and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Following Tropical Land Use Conversions to Plantation Crops on Mineral Soils, with a Special Focus on Oil Palm and Rubber Plantations

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  • Sanjutha Shanmugam

    (School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia)

  • Ram C. Dalal

    (School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia)

  • Hans Joosten

    (Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, 17487 Greifswald, Germany)

  • R. J. Raison

    (The Mullion Group, Canberra, ACT 2607, Australia)

  • Goh Kah Joo

    (Advanced Agriecological Research Sdn. Bhd., 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia)

Abstract

The increasing global demand for vegetable oils has resulted in a significant increase in the area under oil palm in the tropics during the last couple of decades, and this is projected to increase further. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil discourages the conversion of peatlands to oil palm and rubber plantations. However, our understanding of the effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of land use conversion is incomplete, especially for mineral soils under primary forests, secondary forests, rubber and other perennial plantations in the tropics. In this review we synthesised information on SOC stocks and GHG emissions from tropical mineral soils under forest, oil palm and rubber plantations and other agroecosystems across the tropical regions. We found that the largest SOC losses occurred after land use conversion from primary forest to oil palm and rubber plantations. Secondary forest and pasture lands showed lower SOC losses as well as total GHG (CO 2 , N 2 O and CH 4 ) emissions when converted to oil palm and rubber plantations. However, due to the limited data available on all three GHG emissions, there remains high uncertainty in GHG emissions estimates, and regional GHG accounting is more reliable. We recommend long-term monitoring of oil palm and other perennial plantations established on tropical mineral soils on different soil types and regions on SOC stock changes and total GHG emissions and evaluate appropriate management practices to optimise production and sustainable economic returns, and minimise environmental impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanjutha Shanmugam & Ram C. Dalal & Hans Joosten & R. J. Raison & Goh Kah Joo, 2018. "SOC Stock Changes and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Following Tropical Land Use Conversions to Plantation Crops on Mineral Soils, with a Special Focus on Oil Palm and Rubber Plantations," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-17, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:8:y:2018:i:9:p:133-:d:166994
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tan, K.T. & Lee, K.T. & Mohamed, A.R. & Bhatia, S., 2009. "Palm oil: Addressing issues and towards sustainable development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 420-427, February.
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    1. Pruethsan Sutthichaimethee & Phayom Saraphirom & Chaiyan Junsiri, 2025. "Efficiency of National Governance in Managing Long-Term Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction in the Agricultural Sector Towards the Thailand 5.0 Goal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-28, April.
    2. Deb Raj Aryal & Danilo Enrique Morales Ruiz & César Noé Tondopó Marroquín & René Pinto Ruiz & Francisco Guevara Hernández & José Apolonio Venegas Venegas & Alejandro Ponce Mendoza & Gilberto Villanuev, 2018. "Soil Organic Carbon Depletion from Forests to Grasslands Conversion in Mexico: A Review," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-15, November.
    3. Xiaowen Dai & Xin Wu & Yi Chen & Yanqiu He & Fang Wang & Yuying Liu, 2022. "Real Drivers and Spatial Characteristics of CO 2 Emissions from Animal Husbandry: A Regional Empirical Study of China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-18, April.
    4. Mishra, Gaurav & Sarkar, Avishek & Giri, Krishna & Nath, Arun Jyoti & Lal, Rattan & Francaviglia, Rosa, 2021. "Changes in soil carbon stocks under plantation systems and natural forests in Northeast India," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 446(C).

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