Root respiration drives patterns of total soil CO2 from cultivated tropical peatland

Authors:
Manning, F. C., Kho, L. K., Hill, T., Mohd. Haniff Harun, Zulkifli Hashim and Teh, Y.A.

Book:
Proceedings of the 15th International Peat Congress

Venue:
Kuching

Keywords:
peat-oxidation, root-biomass, soil-respiration, tropical

Documentfile:
ipc16p97-100a373manningkho.etal_.pdf

Summary:

SUMMARY

Draining tropical peatlands for agriculture may change the carbon dynamics of the soil. To determine the corresponding rates of peat oxidation, soil respiration can be used, but must be partitioned into its autotrophic and microbial peat oxidation components. The systematic planting of oil palm plantations allows for this if spatial sampling strategies are employed. In this study, soil respiration and root biomass were sampled at increasing distances away from oil palm, into three different surface microforms (harvest path, frond pile, cover crops). Bothvariables were greatest by the palms and lowest further away from the…