Biodiversity of Tropical Peatlands: Barriers ... - SPLU.nl

Dr Sue Page : Department of Geography
Biodiversity of Tropical
Peatlands: Barriers &
Opportunities for
Ecological Restoration

Natural Resource Functions of
Tropical Peatlands
Local -------- Regional -------- Global
Maintenance of biodiversity
Carbon storage
Water management
Source of timber & non-timber forest products
Fish spawning & breeding grounds
Palaeo-archive
Etc.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Function:
Maintenance of Biodiversity
Understand the character of the natural
ecosystem.
Understand the floral and faunal diversity.
Understand the ecosystem features that maintain
biodiversity –
energy flow
nutrient cycling
community dynamics
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Character of the natural system
Tropical peatlands are unique
ecosystems
Acidic
Nutrient-poor
Waterlogged
Thick organic soil
Support specialised peat swamp
forest plant and animal
communities.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Global
~ 800 tree species recorded
from the peat swamp forests
of SE Asia.
~ 71 families ~ 237 genera.
Many display characteristic
adaptations to the habitat,
e.g. stilt roots,
pneumatophores.
Xylopia fusca
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Global
In western Malesia, Borneo is the centre of
species richness for the tree flora of peat
swamp forest.
Borneo >380 spp.
P. Malaysia >170 spp.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Regional
Peat swamp forest no. species
Euphorbiaceae 50
Myrtaceae 47
Lauraceae 42
Clusiaceae 36
Rubiaceae 35
Dipterocarpaceae* 32
* most diverse family in lowland rain forest
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Regional
Kalimantan
tree sp / ha
Lowland dipterocarp forest ~300-400
Heath forest ~100-170
Peat swamp forest ~ 75-120
Sub-montane forest ~115
Montane forest ~ 48
Mangrove ~ 6-15
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Peat Swamp Endemics
Archidendron clypearia
Dactylocladus stenostachys
Gonystylus bancanus*
Horsfieldia crassifolia*
Shorea belangeran*
Shorea teysmanniana
Gonystylus bancanus
* On the CITES (IUCN) red list of endangered plant species.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Regional Variation
High regional floral variation.
Only five tree species (from total ~800 spp.)
recorded from psf across the whole west Malesian
region:
Baccaurea bracteata
Campnosperma coriaceum
Ilex cymosa
Madhuca motleyana
Stemonurus secundiflorus
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Greatest regional similarity :
Peninsular Malaysia + Borneo
Total no. tree species in common ~ 50
Less similarity between psf tree flora of
other areas (Sumatra, Thailand)
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Regional variation - within Borneo
Only three widespread tree species in the peat
swamp forests of Borneo:
Dactylocladus stenostachys
Cratoxylum arborescens
Koompassia malaccensis
High levels of floral variation between psf in
Sarawak, Brunei, W, C, S & E Kalimantan.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Local: Phasic communities
Anderson identified six phasic
communities in the Sarawak peat swamps.
Page et al. identified five communities in
the Sebangau peatland, C. Kalimantan.
Only 2 or 3 communities described from
peat swamps of Sumatra/P.Malaysia
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Local : Phasic Communities
Central Kalimantan:
Riverine forest
Marginal mixed swamp forest (MSF)
Low pole forest (LPF)
Very low pole forest (padang)
Tall interior forest (TIF)
Unique community
dominated by
Palaquium leiocarpum
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Local : Phasic Communities
Neoscortechinia kingii MSF TIF
Palaquium cochleariifolium MSF LPF
P. ridleyi MSF
Calophyllum hosei MSF
Mesua sp. MSF
Combretocarpus rotundatus MSF LPF
Mezzettia parviflora MSF
Szygium sp. LPF
Tristaniopsis obovata LPF
Shorea teysmanniana LPF TIF
Palaquium leiocarpum TIF
Stemonurus secundiflorus TIF
Mezzettia parviflora TIF
Floral & structural differences
MSF – mixed swamp forest; LPF – low pole forest;
TIF – tall interior forest
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Local : Habitat variation
Hummocks
Pools
Blackwater streams
Rock outcrops
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Local : Genetic variation
Phylogenetic studies of
Gonystylus bancanus
Populations from three
phasic communities on
the same peatland
dome show significant
genetic differences.
MSF -----
LPF ----- TIF
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Faunal Diversity
Insufficient regional studies, but becoming more
comprehensive.
TPSF recognised as an important habitat for a range of
rare and endangered species:
Mammals: e.g. orang-utan, gibbon, tiger ….
Birds: e.g. white-winged wood duck, Storm’s stork ….
Reptiles: e.g. false ghavial
Fishes: e.g. endemic blackwater species
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Implications for wise use of
tropical peatlands
Wise use strategies should acknowledge:
Global importance of peat swamp forest – high tree
species diversity, endemic species.
Significant regional floral variation – need to protect
remaining psf over full geographical range.
Local variation – one peatland dome can support 5 or 6
distinct plant communities.
Local genetic variation between species sub-populations.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Implications for wise use of
tropical peatlands
Strategies for biodiversity conservation
should acknowledge:
Tropical peatlands are dynamic – undergo
autogenic change over time.
The role of forest fragments in forest
regeneration – current RESTORPEAT work
focuses on forest recovery and barriers
to forest regeneration.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Implications for wise use of
tropical peatlands
Strategies for biodiversity conservation
should acknowledge:
Interplay between flora and fauna – not well
known, e.g.
– feeding relationships;
– role of animals in pollination, fruit/seed
dispersal;
– influence of forest structure on animal
communities.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Restoration of Biodiversity
Restoration of the peat swamp forest ecosystem should
allow restored peatland to recover some of the functions
and values lost during degradation.
For tropical peatlands this could include:
– supporting a variety of characteristic habitats
and species;
– contributing to the maintenance of regional
and global biodiversity.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Assisted restoration
After repeated disturbance, TPSF ecosystems become
degraded and dominated by scrub and sedge.
Frequently, for regeneration to re-initiate, external assistance is
required.
Despite the positive effects of restoration work, there are few
restoration projects based in South-East Asia, and none in
TPSF.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

LAND COVER
CHANGE
1973-2003
Landsat MSS
Landsat TM
Landsat ETM
Aster/TERRA
DMC (Disaster
Monitoring
Constellation)
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Fire frequency
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Dominant
species
Average
no. of saplings
Dominant
species of tree
(% dominance
amongst trees in
plot)
Average no. of
multiplestemmed
trees
C. rotundatus
165.0
Combretocarpus
rotundatus
(64.5)
22.5
18.8 C. rotundatus (84.4) 34.2 C. rotundatus
Cratoxylum
glaucum
13.0
C. rotundatus (94.8)
8.4
Cratoxylum
glaucum
88.3
C. rotundatus &
Cratoxylum glaucum
(88.9)
1.5
Ferns & herbs & bare ground
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY
Average no. of
individual trees
75.3
17.2
3.2
0.8
Average
no. of trees
97.8
36.0
11.6
2.3
Average
no. of tree
species
16.3
9.0
3.6
5.8
No. of plots
4
5
5
4
3
Fire severity
Secondary
Forest
Low
intensity
fire
Moderate
intensity
fire
High
intensity
fire
High
intensity fire
(1997&2002)
Fire period
1997
1997
&
2002

Ecological restoration
Already
occurred
Aims of
this
research
Eventual
outcomes
High diversity tropical forest
Degradation occurs e.g. deforestation,
conversion to agriculture
Local and national governmental desire to
restore eco-system
Study of natural
regeneration
Natural
recovery
Minor
intervention
$$
Local community
involvement in
restoration ideas
Secondary forest maintained
by local community
Major
intervention
$$$$
Joining the ecological and
social aspects:
To develop an
appropriate, ‘win-win’
restoration action plan
To consider the
interactions between
the different barriers,
and address the
socio-ecological gap
To explore methods in
ecological restoration
that allows for
concurrent
development of
ecological and social
concepts, and flow of
knowledge.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

The Wise Use Challenge !
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY