Using systematic conservation planning to minimize REDD+ conflict with agriculture and logging in the tropics. Issue 2 (13th September 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Venter, Oscar; Possingham, Hugh P.; Hovani, Lex; Dewi, Sonya; Griscom, Bronson; Paoli, Gary; Wells, Phillip; Wilson, Kerrie A.
• Is Part Of: Conservation letters. Volume 6:Issue 2(2013:Mar./Apr.)
• Page Start: 116
• Page End: 124
• Publication Date: 2012-09-13
• Subjects: Biodiversity conservation -- Periodicals; Biodiversity -- Monitoring -- Periodicals; 333.9516
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-263X.2012.00287.x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1755-263X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>This article describes the first application of systematic conservation planning for prioritizing REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) strategies and agricultural expansion. For a REDD+ program in Indonesian Borneo, we find that the most cost‐effective way to reduce forest‐based emissions by 25% is to better manage protected areas and logging concessions. A more ambitious emissions reduction target would require constraining agricultural expansion and logging, which incurs opportunity costs. We discover, however, that these impacts can be mitigated by relocating oil palm (<italic>Elaeis guineensis</italic>) agricultural leases to areas that store, on average, 130 tons less carbon per hectare and are 8% more productive for oil palm. This reduces the costs of meeting REDD+ targets, avoids conflict with agriculture, and has the unanticipated effect of minimizing impacts on logging. Our approach presents a transparent and defensible method for prioritizing REDD+ locations and strategies in a way that minimizes development trade‐offs and promotes implementation success.</p> </abstract>