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Palm Plantations Can Help Save Earth From Global Warming

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Palm oil is often denigrated environmentally. But apparently, people who denigrate it ignore the real fact of palm oil. Based on its scientific facts, the oil palm plantations have a high capacity to absorb carbon (carbon sink) badly needed to tackle the global climate change.

What is Carbon Sink?

Carbon sink is an ecosystem or biological system which is able to absorb and store carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. The bigger its capacity to absorb carbon, the bigger its role in mitigating the global warming.

  1. Palm plantations absorb carbon and produce oxygen

Through the process of photosynthesis, oil palm trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen that is necessary for humans and other living things on earth. It can be seen through the following data:

  • Capacity to absorb carbon (CO₂): 64.5 tons/hectare/year
    (Source: Henson, 1999)
  • Capacity to produce oxygen (O₂): 18.7 tons/hectare/year
    (Source: Henson, 1999)

Comparison with forests:

  • Oil Palm Plantations: 36 tons CO₂/hectare
  • Forests: 25 tons CO₂/hectare
    (Source: PPKS, 2023)
  1. Bio-sequestration: Oil palm stores carbon in biomass

Bio-sequestration is a natural process of absorption and storing of carbon in plants’ biomass, including trunks, midribs, fruits, and roots.

Interesting Facts:

  • Average carbon stock in Indonesia’s palm plantations reaches 40 tons/hectare
    (Source: Khasanah, 2019)

Carbon stock rises along with oil palm age:

  • In age of 1–3 years: 5.8 tons/hectare
  • In age of 19–24 years: 45 ton/hectare
    (Source: Chan, 2002)
  • Age of 28 years: 74.4 tons/hectare
    (Source: Kusumawati et al., 2021)
  1. Oil Palm’s roots also stores carbon

Not only the upper parts, oil palm’s roots (underground biomass) also store carbon significantly. Researches show that carbon store in its rooting system increases along with the age of oil palm trees:

  • C-organic content and organic material continually increases from the age of 10, 25, until 35 years.
    (Source: Harianja, 2009)

Having the capacity to absorb and store carbon in huge amount, the palm plantations can become a real solution to mitigate climate change, and as carbon sink alternative which is economically efficient and productive. (*)

 

Palmoilina.asia. https://palmoilina.asia/berita-sawit/sawit-sebagai-carbon-sink/. Carbon Sink dalam Perkebunan Sawit [Infografis 2024]. Oktober 1, 2024 

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