InfoSAWIT, YOGYAKARTA — Oil palm plantations will never be able to replace the function of natural forests, particularly in terms of ecology and the sustainability of life-support systems. This was emphasized by Lis Noer Aini, a lecturer in the Agrotechnology Study Program at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.
According to Lis, the fundamental difference between natural forests and oil palm plantations lies in vegetation structure and ecological systems. Natural forests possess complex, multi-layered structures consisting of various vegetation layers—from large trees and medium-sized trees to shrubs, understory plants, and soil microorganisms. In contrast, oil palm plantations are monocultures, dominated by a single crop species with relatively uniform age and height.
“Forests are multi-strata and complete. From large to small plants, wildlife, and soil microbiology, everything is present. Oil palm plantations, on the other hand, only provide living space for certain species,” she explained, as reported by InfoSAWIT citing UMY on Monday (January 5, 2026).
This condition, Lis continued, has a direct impact on biodiversity. In forest ecosystems, food chains can function in balance because habitats and food sources are naturally available. Monoculture systems, however, cause many species to lose their habitats, resulting in a significant decline in biodiversity.
Moreover, forests have a far greater capacity to absorb and store carbon than oil palm plantations. The diversity of tree sizes and canopy layers allows carbon absorption to occur at multiple levels. In oil palm plantations, carbon that is not absorbed by roots and leaves tends to be released back into the atmosphere.
“When carbon is released into the air, greenhouse gas levels increase. Global warming essentially begins with the deforestation we create ourselves,” she said.
Lis also highlighted the impact of forest loss on microclimate and global climate change. Forest clearing for monoculture crops has been proven to increase ambient temperatures, reduce air humidity, and accelerate ecosystem degradation on a broader scale.
Nevertheless, she emphasized that criticism of forest conversion does not automatically equate to rejecting palm oil–based economic development. Such development, she said, must adhere to spatial planning and environmental sustainability principles as stipulated in Law No. 26 of 2007 on Spatial Planning, which divides land into protected areas, buffer zones, and cultivation zones.
“Forests are life-support systems, while oil palm is a production system. If we only pursue production systems without safeguarding life-support systems, environmental damage is inevitable. In fact, both can coexist in balance if spatial planning and environmental regulations are truly upheld,” she concluded. (T2)
