Version 1
: Received: 12 February 2024 / Approved: 13 February 2024 / Online: 15 February 2024 (03:14:43 CET)
Version 2
: Received: 28 October 2024 / Approved: 28 October 2024 / Online: 29 October 2024 (13:19:40 CET)
How to cite:
Sheil, D.; Descals, A.; Meijaard, E.; Gaveau, D. Rubber Planting and Deforestation. Preprints2024, 2024020743. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0743.v2
Sheil, D.; Descals, A.; Meijaard, E.; Gaveau, D. Rubber Planting and Deforestation . Preprints 2024, 2024020743. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0743.v2
Sheil, D.; Descals, A.; Meijaard, E.; Gaveau, D. Rubber Planting and Deforestation. Preprints2024, 2024020743. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0743.v2
APA Style
Sheil, D., Descals, A., Meijaard, E., & Gaveau, D. (2024). Rubber Planting and Deforestation<strong> </strong>. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0743.v2
Chicago/Turabian Style
Sheil, D., Erik Meijaard and David Gaveau. 2024 "Rubber Planting and Deforestation<strong> </strong>" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0743.v2
Abstract
Wang et al. (Nature 623, 340—350; 2023)1 used satellite observations and phenological signatures to map and estimate the extent of planted rubber (Hevea brasiliensis Müll.Arg.), and associated deforestation, for eight Southeast Asian countries. Their assessment implies that planted rubber may have caused over 4 Mha of deforestation since 1993 — a value greater than assumed in setting deforestation policies. Unfortunately, their estimates rely on incorrect methods. In addition, their definition of “deforestation” is misleading because it includes all tree cover loss, not just natural forests, but also from established rubber gardens, and other plantations. Our assessment indicates that since 2001 the actual extent of deforestation associated with planted rubber is approximately one quarter that reported by Wang et al.
Keywords
remote sensing; phenology; land-use-change; SE Asia; validation
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Remote Sensing
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
