Regulatory Factors of Soil CH4 Fluxes in Different Ages of Oil Palm on Tropical Peatland, Sarawak, Malaysia

Authors:
Lulie Melling, Kah Joo Goh, Auldry Chaddyand Ryusuke Hatano

Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress

Venue:
Stockholm

Keywords:
oil-palm, soil-ch4-flux, tropical-peatland

Documentfile:
Melling et al 2012: Regulatory Factors of Soil CH4 Fluxes in Different Ages of Oil Palm on Tropical Peatland, Sarawak, Malaysia

Summary:

Theme IX. Tropical peatlands

SUMMARY

The objectives of this study were to quantify soil methane (CH₄) fluxes and determine the regulatory factors affecting them in different ages of oil palm on tropical peatland in Sarawak, Malaysia. Monthly soil CH₄ fluxes were measured using a closed chamber method. Soil CH₄ fluxes decreased with palm age with values of 53.8, 23.1 and 17.5 μg C m^-2 h^-1 for 1, 5 and 7 year old palms, respectively. This may due to the release of trapped CH₄ in the peat vacuoles upon drainage and the increasing degree of CH₄ oxidation in the drained anoxic peat layers of older plantings. The significant correlations between rainfall, water table and water-filled pore space (WFPS) with soil CH₄ fluxes emphasized the importance of moisture in soil CH₄ fluxes in tropical peatland.