© 2003 Edy
Nasriadi Sambas Posted
Makalah Pribadi
Pengantar Ke Falsafah Sains
(PPS702)
Program Pasca
Sarjana / S3
Institut Pertanian
Desember 2003
Dosen:
Prof. Dr. Ir. Rudy C. Tarumingkeng (Penanggung jawab)
Prof. Dr. Ir. Zahrial
Coto
POSSIBLE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THE
HAZE WITHIN THE LEUSER ECOSYSTEM
By:
Edy Nasriadi
Sambas
E061030121/IPK
INTRODUCTION
The impact of the big forest fire in 1997/1998
not only stroked
Based on the Leuser Development Program Annual
Report of 1997/1998 (LDP 1998), there was a dense smoke haze over the southern
half of the Leuser Ecosystem due to the widespread
forest fires in Kalimantan and the southern half of Sumatra. The haze threatened to close down program
activities. The Pollutant Standard Index
(PSI) for
The amount of damage or loss caused by the fire
is affected by various factors, among other things the intensity and frequency,
and also the pattern of the fire. In
Indonesia, the fire triggering factors are (1) abiotic
aspects e.g., El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), (2) human aspects, and (3)
forest burning in the process of land clearing (RDCB 1998).
POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF THE HAZE IN
THE LEISER ECOSYSTEM
Haze consists of sufficient smoke, dust,
moisture, and vapor suspended in air to impair visibility. Haze caused by particulate matter from many
sources including smoke, road dust, and other particles emitted directly into
the atmosphere, as well as particulate matter formed when gaseous pollutants
react in the atmosphere. These particles
often grow in size as humidity increases, further impairing visibility.
The effects of haze on humans and the natural
environment are difficult to assess due to duration of the fires (land and
forest fires) and haze. This is also
true for the Leuser Ecosystem. During 1 – 2 weeks of the haze, as happening
in 1997, the effects on biotic and abiotic
components was not significant.
However, it is wise to prepare for the possible long-term effects of the
haze within this ecosystem due to the highly valuable Leuser
Ecosystem including the
The potential effects of the haze within Leuser Ecosystem are described into two categories, i.e.,
from gaseous components of the haze, and although may be overestimate, from the
acid rain caused from dilution of the gaseous components with the rain. The effects of the gaseous components are
described as following :
The emission of haze following a fire disaster has generally
disseminated pollutants like H2S, SO2, Nox, CO, CO2,
and dust particles. A number of reports
show that haze had been inhaled by the people almost everyday for two or three
months would has proven to decrease their health
condition. Health disturbances
experienced are acute infection of the throat (ISPA), bronchial asthma, eye
irritation, bronchitis, pneumonia and skin irritations (RDCB 1998).
Short-term health impacts from particles
include respiratory, eye, and skin irritations.
Sneezing, runny nose, eye irritation, dry throat and cough can occur at
air pollution levels slightly above the standard level. With increasing pollution levels, the
symptoms are likely to aggravate into breathlessness, bronchitis, and asthma,
reduced lung function in children, and cardiovascular disorders. Long-term impacts may result in chronic
obstructive bronchitis and asthma, permanently decreased lung function and
cardiovascular disorders. An increased
risk of lung cancer is of particular concern, if particles deposited within the
respiratory system are loaded with carcinogenic compounds (IFFM/GTZ 1998).
Although the dense smoke only lasted for 1 – 2
weeks, it is possible that the haze could impede photosynthesis process of the
green plants. In areas close to fires a
further reduction in photosynthesis could be expected from smoke particulates
adhering to leaf surfaces, thus forming a physical barrier to incoming solar
energy and an impediment to gaseous exchange through leaf stomata. Decreased photosynthesis reduces plant repair
and maintenance activities such as leaf replacement and anti-predator toxin
production, further weakening plants and increasing their vulnerability to
disease and predators. According to Bappenas (1999), there are some important secondary effects
on biodiversity such as (1) primary productivity declines, leading to reduced
plant growth and to disturbance to critical stages of plant development,
attributable to reduction of solar energy by smoke haze from the fires, and (2)
an expected drop in aquaculture and fisheries productivity from a reduction in
available solar energy.
In practical, the possible effects of haze on
terrestrial animals (especially the herbivores) are through the infected
feeding trees (leaves, fruits etc.) and unhealthy air. If the production of food decreases then the
herbivores will starve and so further carnivores. The haze may have both short-term and long-term
impacts on respiratory health of the animals.
This in turn may affect long-term survival rates, if the individual does
not have the ability to outrun predators or catch prey (WWF-IP 1997).
Sowerby and Yeager (1997) stated that in
The possible long-term effects of the acid rain
within the Leuser Ecosystem can be described as following :
Sulfur dioxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were released into the atmosphere as well as higher
concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2), by the
combustion of fossil fuels especially from land and forest fires. These oxides would be transformed into
sulfuric and nitric acids by complex series of chemical reactions and removed
from the atmosphere to the earth’s surface mainly by rain. The resulting acid deposition would cause
serious environment damage to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, i.e., human
beings, flora, fauna, soil etc. The
attention should be paid for the possible acid rain due to dilution of the haze
and other air pollutants by the rain on land and rivers even towards the estuaries
(Singkil area).
MEASUREMENTS OF THE HAZE EFFECTS
IN THE LEUSER ECOSYSTEM
Haze originating from large-scale forest and land fires is characterized
by a high concentration of particulate matter.
Particulate matter consists of carbon and mineral bodies of different
sizes, ranging in diameter from 0.001 to 100 micrometer. Due to the specific emission characteristics
of forest and land fires, haze is predominantly made of very fine particles
with a diameter of less than 10 micrometer (IFFM/GTZ 1998).
The Leuser Ecosystem
which covers about 1.8 million Ha (Forestry Minister Decree No. 227/1998) is
one of the largest conservation area in
So far, in the Leuser Ecosystem, there are
three kinds of land uses need to be given special attention in relation to
forest fires (land clearing) and the consequently haze created, i.e.,
plantation (mainly oil palm), forest concession areas, and illegal
cultivation. The Leuser
Ecosystem does not have peat swamp commonly domed. Yet, it has peat areas in the form of land
types as (1) peat covered beach deposit, (2) shallow peat swamp, (3)
permanently water-logged peaty flood plains, and (4) low peat-covered old
marine terrace, with a total area of 155,053.60 Ha located in western/southwestern
part of the ecosystem (LDP 1999, unpublished).
In fact, fires in areas of peat soils and in cleared conversion forest
are identified as major contributors to smoke and haze production (Bappenas 1999).
To assess the impacts of possible acid deposition,
there are multiple factors involved i.e., deposition acidity, chemical
components, and soil sensitivity. The
effects on vegetation can be indicated by the degree of decline trees and
abnormalities of leaves and branches. I
believe that the growth ring of the plants, especially the C4 plants, can be
measured in relation to reduced ultraviolet/energy on photosynthesis processes.
In June 1998, Sambas (1999) made a 1 Ha plot at
the Ketambe Research Station, Southeast Aceh Regency within the
Likewise, data on the diversity of ichthyofauna within the Leuser
Ecosystem i.e., from Suaq Balimbing
in 1997 and Ketambe in 1998 had been taken and the specimen were kept at the Museum Zoologicum
Bogoriense (Hadiaty and Munim 1998).
Therefore, the monitoring of the water quality of the fresh water in the
Leuser Ecosystem is also should be considered.
MONITORING
The Leuser
Development Program, joined with
Monitoring sites should be established based on
the considerations so that continuous observations of flora and fauna can be
conducted at the same sites. Sites
should allow for continuous monitoring.
Based on the ecosystem types and the span control of LDP, the proposed
monitoring sites are at least in three locations i.e., Singkil
(peat/swampy), Lembah Alas (shifting cultivation),
and a loggeg-over area in the eastern part of the Leuser Ecosystem (e.g. Sekundur).
The suggested monitoring program in the Leuser Ecosystem is as follows :
a.
vegetation : degree
of decline of trees and abnormalities of leaves and branches.
b.
wildlife : decline
of the survival/fitness of the animals and their higher rate of mortality.
a.
Nationally
:
(1)
LAPAN :
-monitor smoke and haze spread through the NOAA and GMS satellites;
(2)
BMG :- predict and
monitor the climate, temperature, rainfall, visibility distance, directions and
velocity of the winds.
(3)
Ministry
of Environment :- prepare guidelines on monitoring haze distribution and spread
(4)
Ministry
of Forestry
(5)
Ministry
of Agriculture c.q. Directorate General of Estate
Crops
b.
Internationally : SE
Asian Countries, European Union,
The related programs (with the haze monitoring) planned to conduct by
the Leuser Development Program (LDP) based on the
Work Plan for 1996/7 – 2003/4 are as following :
1. To function five research
station at strategic (representative) locations in order to gain two advantages
i.e., (1) early phase data collection and possibly to monitor the development
in the field via these stations, and (2) ecosystem security to be tightened
because these stations are located in the strategic locations. So far, there are three research stations
namely Ketambe, Soraya (Sooutheast Aceh Regency) and Suaq Balimbing (South Aceh Regency). One
of the two research stations to be established will be in the eastern part of
the Leyser Ecosystem.
With four or five stations, there are relatively adequate to monitor
haze in the ecosystem.
2. To monitor (1) the value of
ecological indicators as an effective tool for monitoring biological diversity,
(2) climate and water source, and global climate change internationally, and (3
ecosystem function in measuring functions such as CO2 sink, regularly water
current and local weather, to document the role of swamp forest (peat swamp) in
carbon adsorption.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The recommendations to be considered in the implementation of haze
monitoring within the Leuser Ecosystem, i.e.:
LITERATURE
Anonymous. 1995. Acid Deposition: Monitoring Network in
Bappenas.
1999. Planning for Fire
Prevention and Drought Management in
Hadiaty, RK and Munim,
A. 1998.
Diversity of ichtyofauna at Ketambe,
Integrated
Leuser Development Program.
1998. Annual Report.
Leuser Development Program.
Purwaningsih.
1998. Structure and Species
Composition of
Research and
Sambas, EN. 1999. Flora Hutan Tepi Sungai
Alas, Ketambe,
Soares, RV. 1999. Fire Incident Monitoring and Reporting
System. IFFM 2nd
International Workshop “
Sowerby, J and Yeager, CP. 1997. Fires Effects on forests, forest wildlife and
associated ecosystem process. Highland
Seminar (internet). 5
pp.
WWF
Appendix 1
Map of Leuser
Ecosystem