ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Chemical and Hydro-Physical Peat Characteristics
under Agricultural Peat Land Management
in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
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Forest Research and Development Center, Ministry of Environment and Forestry,
Jln. Gunung Batu no.5 Bogor 16610, Indonesia
Submission date: 2021-01-27
Final revision date: 2021-03-03
Acceptance date: 2021-03-17
Online publication date: 2021-08-30
Publication date: 2021-09-22
Corresponding author
Budi Hadi Narendra
Forest Research and Development Center, Forest Research and Development Agency, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia, Jl. Gunung Batu no 5, 16199, Bogor, Indonesia
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(5):4647-4655
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ABSTRACT
The utilization of peatlands as agricultural areas that does not pay attention to the sustainability
aspects often contributes to climate change and the decline in the peat ecosystem function. For better
peatland management and to prevent more severe environmental losses, knowledge of the impacts on
chemical and hydro-physical peat characteristics in a specific area is required. This study was aimed to
assess the chemical and hydro-physical characteristics of the peat utilized as agricultural land. The study
was conducted by field measurements and peat sample analysis in the laboratory. The results indicated
that peat managed as agricultural land is categorized as deep inland peat with more than 3 m thickness
and dominated by sapric type in the surface layer. Intensive agricultural management significantly
changes some peat’s chemical characteristics by increasing the pH, phosphor, potassium, calcium,
and magnesium contents. Otherwise, the peat management has lowered the hydrological function
characterized by increasing water level depth, bulk density, reducing the water content and hydraulic
conductivity. Hydrological peat functions on agricultural peatland should be restored by applying
appropriate canal blocking. Paludiculture systems should be considered as promising agricultural land
management that combines adaptive crops and suitable tree species with high economic value for the
community.