| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 自然資源與環境學系 === 106 === More than half of the tropical peatland forests are found in Southeast Asia, and 73% of total SE Asia peatland forests distributed in Indonesia. Tropical peatlands contain immense stores of carbon and play a key role in regional and global ecosystems by sustaining the livelihoods of thousands of local communities and providing habitats for endangered and iconic species as well as many others. Despite these values, Indonesian peatland ecosystems have experienced extensive deforestation and degradation since two decades ago. Extensive degradation of Indonesian peatlands by drainage and logging results in loss of ecosystem functions and frequent forest fire.
Peatland fires causes release of huge amounts of carbon to the
atmosphere that further global warming and cause public health issues.
There is an urgent need to effectively restore peatland areas that are already damaged. However, little research has been published on the factors that influence successful restoration of tropical peatland ecosystems and to suggest solutions to overcome the barrier for restoration. This thesis addresses this gap by focusing on peatland forest in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, and by reviewing 1) causes the degradation of peatland forests in Central Kalimantan, especially forest fire, 2) the environmental changes of peatland forest after forest fires, 3) previous restoration efforts in Central Kalimantan and the effectiveness of these approaches, 4) knowledge or techniques applied to other peatlands that may enhance the effectiveness of peatland forest restoration in tropics. In the final part, I present a conceptual framework of peatland restoration for each status of degraded peatland forest and suggestions for actions to prevent further degradation and to promote forest recovery.
The main drivers of peatland degradation in Central Kalimantan are: drainage, logging and fires. These drivers result in forests that are more prone to fire which leads to further degradation. Both physical and chemical parameters had changed significantly following burning compared to natural condition. To help forest recovery, rewetting through canal blocking and revegetation through seedling nursery, transplants seedlings and artificial bird perches were applied to peatland in Central Kalimantan. Current canal blocking had failed due to heavy rain and lack of consideration for the livelihood of nearby communities. Thus spillway system and infilling canals are suggested.
Large abandoned peatland farms showed little evidence of subsequent forest recovery. Revegetation is difficult due to multiple barriers, such as invasive plants, herbivore, flooding, and seed dispersal limitation. Planting taller seedlings and applying proper herbicide with care may overcome the invasive plants. Furthermore, fencing and shelters can be the options to cope with herbivory on seedlings. To overcome flooding problem, planting the tree along the dike can be the solution. Furthermore, artificial perches have been known increased the seed dispersal.
Strategies of peatland restoration should be designed according to the type of peatland degradation. I present a conceptual framework that includes different level of peatland forest degradation and proposes actions of restoration for each status. The framework can be used by policy-makers and researchers to devise proper restoration approaches for a greater probability of success.
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