CARBON EMISSION ASSESSMENT FROM DIFFERENT LOGGING ACTIVITIES IN PRODUCTION FOREST OF PAHANG, MALAYSIA

Logging activities in the forest contribute towards carbon emission into the atmosphere, which impacts global climate. It is anticipated that different logging activities could be a significant factor that contribute to the emission. Hence, a study was conducted to assess logging emission from different logging techniques, viz. the current selective management system (SMS) — reduced impact logging (RIL) prescription, and the improvised of RIL prescription — low impact logging (LIL) using the Rimbaka machine. The study site is a production forest in the Ulu Jelai Forest Reserve, Lipis, Pahang. Surveys were carried out in monitoring plots of RIL and LIL, including carbon emission from logging activities. Assessment of logging emission indicated that the LIL technique emitted much less carbon into the atmosphere compared to RIL technique. Among the emission components, i.e. skid trails, logging roads and logging decks, the amount of emissions were 37% significantly lower in LIL compared to RIL. In conclusion, improved logging techniques to minimise damages to the residual forest stands are among the mitigation actions taken to reduce carbon emission from timber extraction in the forest. The LIL appears to provide a strategy for managing tropical forest that minimises the potential risks to climate, associated with large changes in carbon emission into the atmosphere.