SOIL CO₂ FLUXES FROM DIFFERENT AGES OF OIL PALM IN TROPICAL PEATLAND OF SARAWAK, MALAYSIA AS INFLUENCED BY ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOIL PROPERTIES

The large store of organic matter in tropical peatland undergoes natural decomposition and respiration processes to produce soil carbon dioxide (CO₂). The conversion of tropical peatland into oil palm plantation has been assumed to enhance the decomposition process due to drainage, causing further emission of soil CO₂. It is postulated that this process will increase with time of oil palm cultivation.
Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the influence of environmental variables and root biomass on soil CO₂ fluxes from different ages of oil palm.
The soil CO₂ fluxes were measured for 24 months from three palm ages (1, 5 and 7 years of planting; S1, S2, S3) in tropical peatland of Sarawak, Malaysia using a closed-chamber technique.
The highest mean soil CO₂ flux was recorded in S3 (221.26 mg C m^-2 h^-1) followed by S2 (195.43 mg C m^-2 h^-1) and S1 (177.63 mg C m^-2 h^-1) palms.
The cumulative soil CO₂ fluxes for S1, S2 and S3 were 14.72, 16.38 and 18.53 t C ha^-1 yr^-1, respectively.
Water-filled pores space (WFPS) correlated negatively with soil CO₂ fluxes in all of the three different ages of oil palm probably due to reduced root respiration.
The increase in soil CO₂ flux with palm age was consistent with higher root biomass of growing palms suggesting that root respiration was a major component of soil respiration in tropical peatland under oil palm.

International Symposium on Responsible Peatland Management and Growing Media Production

L. Melling, A. Chaddy, K.J. Goh, R. Hatano

water-filled pore space (WFPS), root biomass, closed-chamber technique

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2013.982.2