Aboveground biomass and carbon dynamics over 13 years at an Indonesian tropical peat dome: findings from field data

Le résumé fourni par la source

Southeast Asian tropical peat swamp forests are globally significant, carbon-rich ecosystems, yet have experienced widespread degradation through drainage, fire and logging. Research monitoring how forest aboveground biomass (AGB) and aboveground carbon (AGC) respond to these factors is limited. Here, we present field-based AGB and AGC estimates from an Indonesian tropical peat dome over thirteen years. We compare AGB estimates generated through popular Indonesian mixed species and pantropical allometric models, and investigate drivers of AGB and AGC across different disturbance histories. AGB estimates from the allometric models were broadly similar, supporting comparability of estimates from studies using different models. In degraded areas, AGB/AGC declined over the thirteen years through persistent fire; forests showed some resilience against one fire, but ≥2 frequently resulted in almost total elimination of AGB/AGC from up to ∼300 Mg ha -1 /141 Mg C ha -1 to almost zero. Fire, logging and distance to rivers and canals were all significant predictors of AGB/AGC dynamics, with strongest effects for distance from waterways; AGB/AGC increased further from rivers and canals, likely because human access and canal-induced drainage increase peat flammability and fire ignition. We also unexpectedly detected persistently high biomass/carbon accumulation in the most intact forests of 10.3 - 13.9 Mg ha -1 yr -1 / 4.8 - 6.5 Mg C ha -1 yr -1 . Our findings indicate conservation and restoration of tropical peat swamp forests may be optimised by prioritising areas that have experienced a single fire, and the intersection of commonly-used waterways where drainage and human access compound fire risk.

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