Effects of water table fluicuations on dissolved organic carbon concentrations in a oil palm plantation in tropical peatlands

Authors:
Wendy Lim, Adesiji Richard Adeolu, Fitriah Azizan, Alexand ,Kiew Sayok, Thamer Ahmed Mohammad, Nik Norsyahariati Nik Daud, Rory Padfield, Stephanie Evers and Zuriati Zakaria

Book:
Proceedings of the 15th International Peat Congress

Venue:
Kuching

Keywords:
dissolved-organic-carbon, oil-palm-plantations, peatland-drainage, tropical-peatlands, water-table-levels

Documentfile:
ipc16p152a029limadeolu.etal_.pdf

Summary:

Peatlands are the largest source of soil carbon and some other major soil nutrients. The continuous functioning of these ecosystems as the source of these nutrients depends largely on peatland drainage which helps to lower the peatland water table levels for sustainable peatland agricultural production. Excessive peatland drainage has caused dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loss as a result of lowered water table levels. This study, therefore, investigated theimpacts of fluctuations in water table levels on DOC concentrations. The study was undertaken in four blocks of oilpalm of different ages which were further sub-divided into eight sampling plots. Samples were taken from each ofthe study plots for 16 months on a bi-monthly basis from the installed tube wells (piezometers) and were analyzed…