Carbon mineralization dynamics of tropical peats in relation to peat characteristics

AKHMAD R. SAIDY (Department of Soil, Universitas Lambung Mangkurat. Jl. Ahmad Yani Km 36, Simpang Empat, Banjarbaru 70714, South Kalimantan, Indonesia. - Konsursium Keilmuan Gambut Tropis – Kalimantan Universities Consortium. Jl. Prof. Dr. H. Hadari Nawawi, Pontiana)
ZURAIDA T. MARIANA (Department of Soil, Universitas Lambung Mangkurat. Jl. Ahmad Yani Km 36, Simpang Empat, Banjarbaru 70714, South Kalimantan, Indonesia)
FENGKY A. ADJI (Department of Agrotechnology, Palangka Raya University, Kampus Tunjung Nyaho, Palangka Raya 73111, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.)
ROSSIE W. NUSANTARA (Department of Mathematics, Kalimantan Institute of Technology, Kampus ITK Karang Joang, Balikpapan 76127, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.)
IRMA FITRIA (Department of Soil, Tanjung Pura University, Jalan Prof. Dr. H. Hadari Nawawi, Pontianak 78124, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.)
SYAHRINUDIN SYAHRINUDIN (Department of Soil Sciences and Forest Nutrition, Mulawarman University, Gedung B3 Jl. K. Hajar Dewantara, Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.)

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity
Vol. 19 No. 4 (2018)

Saidy AR, Mariana ZT, Adji FA, Nusantara RW, Fitria I, Syahrinudin. 2018. Carbon mineralization dynamics of tropical peats in relation to peat characteristics. Biodiversitas 19: 1413-1421. Understanding the dynamics of carbon mineralization of peats in the tropical areas is of essential significance in controlling carbon dioxide (CO2) gas emission rates. An incubation study of tropical peats sampled from 3 different sites of the Barito Basin on the Borneo Island, Indonesia (uncultivated, used for paddy cultivation for £ 5 years and 5-10 years) was carried out to investigate a relationship between CO2 production and peat characteristics. Results of study revealed that land use change from uncultivated peats to paddy fields resulted in significant changes in the chemical structure of peat organic carbon. Carbohydrate contents of the peat decreased significantly as a consequence of the conversion of natural peats to paddy fields. However, the paddy peats contained higher lignin than uncultivated peats. Changes in the chemical structure of the tropical peats resulted in changes in carbon mineralization. Carbon mineralization of uncultivated peats ranged from 2925-5310 mg CO2-C kg-1 peat, while carbon mineralization of 1065-2678 mg CO2-C kg-1 C peat was observed for paddy peats. Moreover, carbon mineralization data obtained from the experiment fitted properly to a two-pool C mineralization model. The developed carbon mineralization model showed that slowly and rapidly decomposable pools have a close relation with rubbed fiber and carbohydrate content data. Thus, results of this study suggested that carbon mineralization of peats could be estimated appropriately using rubbed fiber and carbohydrate content data.