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

Abstract

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.

Fire frequency, intensity, and burn severity in Kalimantan’s threatened Peatland areas over two Decades

“…To estimate the impact that different LULC types (forest, plantation, oil palm, early successional grass and shrublandhereafter, grassland) have on potential fire intensity, we used the FCCS to build custom fuel models based on field observations and characterized surface fire intensity and canopy fire transmission in FFT. Fuels data were derived from published and government literature and local expert opinion for each LULC type (Novita, 2016;Basuki, 2017). The FFT estimates surface fire intensity using ecosystem-specific fuel data and environmental scenarios (i.e., moisture content through the typical fire season).…”

Determinants Determining the Farmer Participation and the Development of Shallot Farming in Search of Effective Farm Management Practices: Evidence Grounded in Structural Equation Modeling Results

“…The marketing expenditures that farmers are responsible for are contingent upon the farm's proximity to the market and the prevailing market structure. Additionally, marketing expenses are influenced by collection, sorting, packing, and distribution costs [40]. Furthermore, the scale of marketing agency operations and the level of use of marketing facilities also have a role in determining marketing costs [41].…”

Synergistic Application of Multiple Machine Learning Algorithms and Hyperparameter Optimization Strategies for Net Ecosystem Productivity Prediction in Southeast Asia

“…We deeply analyzed and interpreted the gridded results of the model-inverted feature targets, especially considering the spatial representation of NEP in different ecosystems, such as the carbon balance characteristics and spatial distribution trends in forests, grasslands, shrubs, and farmlands. Theoretically, original tropical forests, shrubs, and wild grasslands in Southeast Asia should act as carbon sinks, i.e., NEP > 0 [51][52][53]. Given the extensive farmland in this region, especially vast paddy fields emitting substantial greenhouse gases during their growth, and considering factors like field management and land conversion under the premise of climate change, many scientific studies have deemed the farmlands in this region as carbon sources, i.e., NEP < 0 [54,55].…”