Soil physical properties of tropical peatland at three different types of land use in Kubu Raya district of west Kalimantan, Indonesia

Authors:
Mateus Aba, Urai Edi Suryadi and Sutarman Gafur

Book:
Proceedings of the 15th International Peat Congress

Venue:
Kuching

Keywords:
land-use, soil-physical-properties, tropical-peatlands

Documentfile:
ipc16p35-39a211aba.suryadi.etal_-1.pdf

Summary:

SUMMARY

Tropical peatland in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, has become more intensively used not only for agricultural land, but also for other uses. This study is aimed to observe changes in soil physical properties of peatland having been used as secondary forest, temporarily open land, and as oilpalm plantation. Soil samples were collected from study sites in Kubu Raya District of West Kalimantan. Parameters include water table in each site and in secondary canal, field capacity water content, bulk and particle density, porosity, hydraulic conductivity, and soil maturity levels. The results showed that water table was deeper in temporarily open land (66.35 cm) and in oil palm plantation (64.0cm), and shallow in secondary forest (54.26cm). Percentage of field water capacity…