The Effectiveness of Soil Extracts from Selangor Peat Swamp and Pristine Forest Soils on the Growth of Green Microalgae sp.

Microalgae are widely utilized in commercial industries. The addition of a modified artificial medium (soil extract) could enhance their growth. Soil extract collected from the Raja Musa peat swamp and mineral soil from the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve (AHFR), Selangor, Malaysia, were treated using various extraction methods. Carteria radiosa PHG2-A01, Neochloris conjuncta, and Nephrochlamys subsolitaria were grown in microplates at 25 °C, light intensity 33.75 µmol photons m−2s−1 for 9 days. N. conjuncta dominated the growth in 121 °C twice extraction method AFHR samples, with 47.17% increment. The highest concentrations of ammonia and nitrate were detected in the medium with soil extract treated with 121 °C twice extraction method, yielding the concentrations of 2 mg NL−1 and 35 mg NL−1 for ammonia and nitrate of RM soil and 2 mg NL−1 and 2.85 mg NL−1 for the AH soil. These extracts are proved successful as a microalgal growth stimulant, increasing revenue and the need for enriched medium. The high rate of nutrient recovery has the potential to serve as a growth promoter for microalgae.

Disepalum rawagambut (Annonaceae), a new tree species from peat swamp forest of Sumatra, Indonesia

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Potential of peat carbon storage in natural forests Tripa Peat Swamp at Aceh Barat Daya District

Carbon storage is the total weight of carbon stored in the ecosystem at a certain time, especially in natural forests in the Tripa peat swamp area of Aceh Barat Daya. Peatlands are wetland ecosystems that are formed by the accumulation of organic matter on the forest floor from weathering of the vegetation on it over a long period of time. The research objectives were 1) to calculate peat soil carbon storage and 2) to measure the depth of peat soil in natural forest in the Tripa peat swamp area, Aceh Barat Daya Regency. The research activity was carried out from February to March 2021, in a natural forest in the Tripa Aceh Barat peat swamp area, divided into three stations and at each station, three sampling plots were made. Data collection using purposive sampling technique, Analysis of carbon stock was analyzed using the formula for calculating carbon stock by entering data on the percentage of soil organic carbon in the laboratory, and data on peat depth in a descriptive analysis. The results showed that the amount of peat soil carbon storage, especially in natural forest in the Tripa Aceh Barat Daya peat swamp area, was 2.556 tons/ha and the peat depth range was fibric with a depth of 0-95 cm, hemic 96-292 cm, and substance 293-310.

The Potency of Cratoxylum arborescens Blume (Geronggang) and Combrecarpus rotundatus Dans (Tumih) as Natural Regeneration in Degraded Tropical Peat Swamp Forest

The massive forest fire disasters have left an enormous area of ​​degraded peatland. This study aims to analyze the performance of two species, namely C. arborescens and C. rotundatus, as the natural regeneration post forest fires. This research was conducted in 5 different locations that experienced severe fires in 2006. We made a total of 25 plots for each location to measure biodiversity at four growth levels. We analyzed the data with vegetation analysis formulas from Magurran. The results show that at the tree growth level, C. rotundatus can withstand the fires in 2006 and is currently still growing in more significant numbers than C. arborescens. At the pole, sapling, and seedling growth levels, these species perform well as natural regeneration species with many individuals, but C. arborescens is a bit more dominant. Both species are suitable for natural regeneration after fires in degraded peat swamp forests based on survived and existing individuals. On the other hand, both species could not improve the vegetation diversity in the whole ecosystem. These two species can be the option for natural regeneration if there a limited budget and the degraded areas are in a very remote location.

STRATEGI ADAPTASI MASYARAKAT DESA HUTAN RAWA GAMBUT PASCA KEBAKARAN HUTAN DAN LAHAN DI KALIMANTAN SELATAN

The fire of forest and land especially in forest swamp forest have cause changes in the environment biophysical significant the impact on the occurrence of changes in the environment social. Changes in the environment biophysical and environmental social as the impact of the change over to the area of forest swamp peat has been encouraging people to do the adaptation so that they still exist as individuals and as a community to sustain life ( existence ) and improved its well-being life ( welfare ). Based on the background behind it then needs to do research. From the results of the interim research, it was found that there were various adaptation patterns of the community in adapting to peat swamp forest after fires, including adaptation of land use and adaptation of job diversification outside of work based on forest and peat swamp land use.

Assessing Impact of Multiple Fires on a Tropical Peat Swamp Forest Using High and Very High-Resolution Satellite Images

Tropical peat swamp forests, found mainly in Southeast Asia, have been threatened by recurring El Niño fires. Repeated burnings form a complex and heterogeneous landscape comprising a mosaic of burned patches of different fire frequencies, requiring fine-scale assessment to understand their impact. We examined the impact of the El Niño fires of 1998 and 2003 on a tropical peat swamp forest in northern Borneo, with the combined use of high and very high-resolution satellite images. Object-based and pixel-based classifications were compared to classify a QuickBird image. Burned patches of different fire frequencies were derived based on unsupervised classification of the principal components of multitemporal Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) data. The results show that the object-based classification was more accurate than the pixel-based classification for generating a detailed land cover map. Fire frequency had a severe impact on the number of burned patches and the residual forest cover. Larger patch area retained more residual forest cover for the burned patches. Forest structure of burned-twice patches was more severely altered compared to burned-once patches. Two burned-once patches had a relatively promising recovery potential by natural regeneration due to higher residual forest cover, a vast number of large trees, and aboveground biomass. Except for the largest patch, rehabilitation seemed inevitable for burned-twice patches. This approach can be applied to assess the impact of multiple fires on other forest types for better post-fire forest management.

Land Cover and Land Use Change Decreases Net Ecosystem Production in Tropical Peatlands of West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Deforested and converted tropical peat swamp forests are susceptible to fires and are a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, information on the influence of land-use change (LUC) on the carbon dynamics in these disturbed peat forests is limited. This study aimed to quantify soil respiration (heterotrophic and autotrophic), net primary production (NPP), and net ecosystem production (NEP) in peat swamp forests, partially logged forests, early seral grasslands (deforested peat), and smallholder-oil palm estates (converted peat). Peat swamp forests (PSF) showed similar soil respiration with logged forests (LPSF) and oil palm (OP) estates (37.7 Mg CO2 ha−1 yr−1, 40.7 Mg CO2 ha−1 yr−1, and 38.7 Mg CO2 ha−1 yr−1, respectively), but higher than early seral (ES) grassland sites (30.7 Mg CO2 ha−1 yr−1). NPP of intact peat forests (13.2 Mg C ha−1 yr−1) was significantly greater than LPSF (11.1 Mg C ha−1 yr−1), ES (10.8 Mg C ha−1 yr−1), and OP (3.7 Mg C ha−1 yr−1). Peat swamp forests and seral grasslands were net carbon sinks (10.8 Mg CO2 ha−1 yr−1 and 9.1 CO2 ha−1 yr−1, respectively). In contrast, logged forests and oil palm estates were net carbon sources; they had negative mean Net Ecosystem Production (NEP) values (−0.1 Mg CO2 ha−1 yr−1 and −25.1 Mg CO2 ha−1 yr−1, respectively). The shift from carbon sinks to sources associated with land-use change was principally due to a decreased Net Primary Production (NPP) rather than increased soil respiration. Conservation of the remaining peat swamp forests and rehabilitation of deforested peatlands are crucial in GHG emission reduction programs.

Historical data guides restoration of degraded peat swamp forests in Southeast Asia

Peat swamp forests in Southeast Asia are under heavy pressure. Deforestation, forest degradation, wildfires, and drainage have damaged or destroyed substantial areas of the once extensive peat swamp forest formations. Several efforts are underway to rehabilitate degraded peat forests areas in order to restore some of the valuable ecosystem services these forested areas once provided. However, these efforts often result in (mixed)-plantations that only partly resemble the original peat forests. Information about these peat swamp forests’ complex origin and ecology is needed to improve restoration outcomes further. Our paper analyses historical data from coastal peat swamp forests in Sarawak and Brunei and discusses the potential to use this as the reference value for intact peat forests. We describe the observed stand structure and species composition for pristine peat swamp forest, and we analyze the population structure of three dominant peat swamp forest species: Gonystylus bancanus (ramin), Dactylocladus stenostachys (jongkong) and Shorea albida (alan batu). We compare the historical data with data from recently measured, degraded peat swamp forests. We discuss our results in relation to processes of peat dome formation, nutrient availability and hydrology, and give recommendations for peat swamp forest management and restoration.