1. ROLE OF TROPICAL PEATLANDS IN CARBON GAS EMISSIONS

2. Carbon Cycling Processes in Peatland

3.  Pristine PSF peat (mixed type)  Tree pneumatophore gas fluxes  Peat in agriculture (2 farm sites)  Mismanaged peatlands  Burned PSF peat  Water management canal emissions  Recovering forest peat Satellite images ©V. Böhm/Kalteng Konsultants Peat management sites:  Peat swamp forest site  Felling & stacking treatment (open peat)  Water management area (open peat) Crops production peat sites:  Pineapple (Ananas comosus) field  Noni (Morinda Citrifolia) orchard  Sago plantation  (Oil palm plantation) Study sites

4. Flux rate Peat surface Zero flux Respiration in tree root filled hummocks and decomposition of recently allocated organic material in lawns cause high CO 2 flux rate Developed peat CO 2 and CH 4 emission rates are lower compared to PSF, but also new organic material input to system is low

5.  Hidenori Takahashi PSF annual flux CO 2 is the major tropical peat originated greenhouse gas by quantity of carbon released High water level conditions slow down cumulative peat C- emissions in PSF

6. Comparison to boreal peat C-fluxes Compared to boreal peatlands, tropical PSF peat CO 2 emissions are somewhat higher, and CH 4 emissions are much lower Flux (g m -2 y -1 ) CO 2 342736103794 CO 2 -C935 9851035 Flux from lawns (g m -2 y -1 ) CH 4 0.810.941.08 CH 4 -C0.61 0.710.81 1)Nykänen et al., (1998). Global Biogeochemical Cycles 12(1): 53-69. 2)Martikainen et al., (1995). Plant and Soil, 168-169: 571-577. 1) 2) 2)

7. Conclusion … Tropical peatland ecosystem with rich vegetation and high carbon uptake may well have a steady state or even positive C-balance, where as sparse vegetation cover owing developed peat likely loses carbon from the system … need of information … hypothesis … Tropical peat carbon emissions are mostly based on CO 2, and the processes are largely dependent on peat hydrology and type of vegetation cover Carbon allocation into pristine/managed tropical peat ecosystems Restoration impact on C-fluxes in mismanaged tropical peat …

8. Thank you! Terima kasih! Kiitos! Accomplishment of this work has been possible by financial support from the EU INCO DC programs ‘EUTROP’ and ’STRAPEAT’, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Global Peatland Initiative, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, and Societas Forestalis Fenniae.