Estimating Changes in Above-Ground Biomass in the Peatlands of Riau and West Kalimantan

Abstract

Peatlands are highly important ecosystems in terms of its services and functions such as provision of habitat, retention of biodiversity, water availability and maintaining high carbon stocks. Out of the global peatland area a considerable portion (more than 11%) is found in tropics particularly insular Southeast Asia. The peatlands in Indonesia are of particular importance because of its unique pedogenesis and distinct topography. These peatlands today in its natural settings are found as Peat Swamp forests where the peat forming processes are still continued; and where the above ground biomass is found as trees unlike temperate peatlands where the source of organic carbon in soil and above ground biomass are lower plants (pteridophytes). Over the last three decades peatlands are extensively developed for oil palm plantations making Indonesia one of the largest producers of palm oil. Thus, due to these developments the sector is contributing excellently to national economy and improving livelihoods of local people. The expansion of oil palm plantations is a large scale land use change and is having several dynamics. The land use changes and development of peatlands for oil palm plantations is a gradual process and to explore its history and expansion current research was designed to achieve the following objectives.

Lahan gambut adalah ekosistem dengan fungsi dan kegunaan yang sangat penting seperti sebagai penyedia habitat serta konservasi keanekaragaman hayati, ketersediaan air dan cadangan karbon yang tinggi. Dari luas total lahan gambut global, sebagian besar (lebih dari 11%) ditemukan di daerah tropis terutama di Asia Tenggara. Di Indonesia, lahan gambut memiliki karaktristik spesifik karena proses pedogenesis dan topografinya yang unik. Saat ini, pada kondisi alaminya, lahan gambut di Indonesia ditemukan dalam bentuk hutan rawa gambut (PSF), proses pembentukan gambutnya masih berlanjut dengan biomassa atas tanah (AGB) berupa pepohonan, tidak seperti lahan gambut di daerah beriklim sedang yang sumber karbon organik tanah dan AGBnya adalah tumbuhan paku-pakuan (Pteridophytes).