Ecological prerequisites for successful reforestation of degraded tropical peatlands
Lampela M. (2018). Ecological prerequisites for successful reforestation of degraded tropical peatlands. https://doi.org/10.14214/df.263
Abstract
Tropical peatlands of South East Asia are major hotspots of biodiversity and great carbon stores. The main peat forming ecosystem is tropical peat swamp forest (TPSF) growing on top of meters deep peat. Forest degradation by vast scale land conversions and consequent pernicious impacts on the environment have raised an urgent need for conservation and restoration. This dissertation concentrates firstly on the peat soil properties, ground surface microtopograhy and vegetation patterns of the natural TPSF, and secondly on the vegetation restoration, i.e. reforestation of degraded tropical peatland.
In the studied natural TPSF type, the forest floor can be characterized as an irregular continuum of less common hummocks and more abundant flat low-lying surface where most of the peat surface is not inundated for most of the year. Unlike in the boreal and temperate peatlands, the ground surface microtopography had no regular patterning. The surface peat structure and chemistry had differences in relation to the surface microtopography. Higher surfaces had higher nutrient concentrations and saplings and trees were concentrated on higher surfaces whereas seedlings emerge in all ground surface elevations.
In the open degraded former TPSF area we tested 21 native tree species for their potential for reforestation in a planting experiment. We increased the knowledge on the species’ early stages flood and drought tolerances, species’ suitability for different conditions in reforestation areas and suitable species-specific seedling height for planting. For five species with known potential for reforestation purposes we tested the impact of three site preparation treatments, weeding, fertilizing and mounding, on the seedling performance. We analyzed also the effects of wildfires which caught the study area two years after planting.
With increased knowledge on both natural TPSF ecology and the seedling experiments on degraded areas, we could specify environmental condition requirements for several tree species for reforestation.
Keywords
site preparation;
restoration;
peat properties;
microtopography;
water table;
peat swamp forest;
peat fires
Published 28 November 2018
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Available at https://doi.org/10.14214/df.263 | Download PDF
Original articles
Lampela M., Jauhiainen J., Vasander H. (2014). Surface peat structure and chemistry in a tropical peat swamp forest. Plant and Soil 382 (1-2): 329-347.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2187-5
Lampela M., Jauhiainen J., Kämäri I., Koskinen M., Tanhuanpää T., Valkeapää A., Vasander H. (2016). Ground surface microtopography and vegetation patterns in a tropical peat swamp forest. Catena 139: 127-136.
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2015.12.016
Lampela M., Jauhiainen J., Sarkkola S., Vasander H. (2017). Promising native tree species for reforestation of degraded tropical peatlands. Forest Ecology and Management 394: 52-63.
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2016.12.004
Lampela M., Jauhiainen J., Sarkkola S., Vasander H. (2018). To treat or not to treat? The seedling performance of native tree species for reforestation on degraded tropical peatlands of SE Asia. Forest Ecology and Management 429: 217-225.