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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Yit Arn TehORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
<p>Oil palm plantations growing on peat soil are associated with high soil CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. Oil palm plantations are set up with regular spatial patterns consisting of different surface management microforms: bare soil harvest paths, frond piles, cover plants and drainage ditches. Currently, there is limited understanding about the extent that this spatial variation impacts soil carbon losses, in part due to the challenges of partitioning peat oxidation from total soil respiration. We explored this spatial variation by measuring total soil respiration (R<sub>tot</sub>), root density and environmental variables at 210 locations. Measurements were taken along transects going from the base of oil palms into the different microforms. R<sub>tot</sub> was partitioned into root respiration (R<sub>a</sub>) and heterotrophic respiration (R<sub>h</sub>) using two different methods: (i) a “distance from palm” method (which utilizes the fluxes taken from soil with minimal root density) and (ii) a “linear regression” method (which models root density and R<sub>tot</sub>, using the regression intercept for R<sub>h</sub>). Here, the distance from palm partitioning method gave higher R<sub>h</sub> estimates than the linear regression method. R<sub>h</sub> varied significantly between the different palms used in the assessment but did not show significant spatial variation aside from this. R<sub>tot</sub> and R<sub>a</sub> were highest next to the palm and decreased with increasing distance from the palm. R<sub>tot</sub> and R<sub>a</sub> also showed significant spatial variation between the different surface management microforms, with each giving significantly higher fluxes below the frond piles near the drainage ditches than from below the frond piles near the cover plants. Area-weighted upscaling gave plantation best estimates of R<sub>tot</sub>, R<sub>h</sub>, R<sub>a</sub> of 0.158 ± 0.016, and 0.130 ± 0.036 and 0.029 ± 0.030 g CO<sub>2</sub>-C m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. We conclude that spatial patterns impact root density, R<sub>a</sub> and R<sub>tot</sub> fluxes but not R<sub>h</sub> fluxes.</p>
Author(s): Manning FC, Kho LK, Hill TC, Nyawai TN, Rumpang E, Teh YA
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Year: 2024
Volume: 6
Online publication date: 30/01/2024
Acceptance date: 05/12/2023
Date deposited: 04/12/2024
ISSN (electronic): 2624-893X
Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation
URL: https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1236566
DOI: 10.3389/ffgc.2023.1236566
Data Access Statement: The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.
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