Sago Forests for Food Security and Handling Climate Change in Indonesia

A crucial impact of climate change is the disruption of the agricultural sector, posing a threat to food supply for the globally increasing population. In this context, prioritizing food security in each country becomes an important concern. This study aimed to explore biomass and C-Stock content of Sago forests for handling climate change and resilience. The methodology used comprised various steps including determining the type and the hydraulic conductivity of the soil, assessing biomass and C-Stock by cutting Sago at various growth stages, weighing the wet and dry weight of each fraction, calculating the Top-Root Ratio, and determining the starch yield. The results showed that there were four types of soil namely Hydric, District, and Fluvic Gleisol, as well as Oxic Cambisole. C-Stock was 26.99 tonnes per hectare with a Top-Root Ratio of 636%, implying that above-ground biomass (AGB) was six times more than below-ground biomass (BGB) and the presence of mineral soil. Sago dry starch product ranged from 490.3–571.8 kg per tree and the potential relatively varied due to differences in the structure and composition of forests, as well as habitat and environment. Although logging remained persistent on a very small scale, early signs of disturbances were observed in hydrological conditions and fluctuations in water levels or puddles in the soil profile. This implied that conversion of Sago forests to other uses for the expansion of grain crops on a large scale, would lead to the area experiencing drought.