Gunungkidul Farmers Participate in Carbon Stocks Measuring
4 August 2014 06:42 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Suratimin, the founder of Semoyo Pembaharu Farmers Alliance in Gunungkidul has acquired the skill to estimate carbon stocks in the forest managed by the people. Suratimin learnt the skill after his one-year involvemnet in the carbon stocks estimation and monitoring done by the Alliance of Volunteer for Nature Rescue (Arupa) in 2010.
“We estimated again the carbon stocks in 2012,” said Suratimin who estimates the carbon stocks in Semoyo people’s forest.
According to Suratimin, a simple way to estimate the carbon stock is by determining sample trees in each hamlet. To calculate the stocks, Suratimin uses the method of allometric equations that is developed by Ris Hadi, a lecturer in the Forestry Faculty of Gadjah mada University. The allometric method was firstly introduced by Kitteredge in 1944.
The farmer community who plant Teak, Sengon, Mahogany or Jasema trees in Terong Village, Bantul, is also learning to account their carbon stocks.
As the result, the potential of carbon stocks in people’s forest in 2011 is 31.45 tons per hectare in the yards and 137.45 tons per hectare in the moor. In 2013 the number has changed to 66.20 per hectare in the yard and 44.76 tons per hectare. People can sell their carbon stocks for 5 to 10 dollars per ton.
“The forest management is important to overcome the impact of climate change,” said Dwi Nugroho from Arupa.
Dwi also reminded that selling the carbon stocks is not the main purpose of raising the carbon-measuring awareness among the farmers, but it is to maintain the sustainable forest management.
SHINTA MAHARANI