Association among Lepironia articulata Cyperaceae, peat soil and people in Wanggate, Mappi, Papua

The analysis of sugar and nutrient concentrations in sago palm growing in peat soil and mineral soil with soil pH (H2O) 3.7 and 5, respectively, were conducted in this study. Sugar concentrations such as glucose, sucrose, starch, and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) were observed in the sago palms’ log, petioles and roots. Nutrient concentration such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were observed in the trunk of the sago palms. This study found that the sugar levels of the sago palms grown in mineral soil were higher than those grown in peat soil. The trend of the data shows that, the sago palms grown in mineral soil tend to have higher starch concentration in the lower part and upper parts of the trunk, while in peat soils, the higher starch level was found in the middle parts of the trunk. In the peat soil, sago palm showed lower nitrogen and phosphorus levels compared to the sago palm grown in mineral soils.

Sago palms (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) growing on peat soils were found to grow more slowly and to show a lower production than palms growing on mineral soils. This difference was related to the physical and chemical constraints of peat soils, which include low bulk density, high acidity, and low N, P, K, Ca, Zn, and Cu levels. In coastal lowland peat soils, the distance from the sea has been found to be an important determinant of soil elemental composition. We predicted that a sufficient supply of N at the rosette stage would improve sago palm growth and that the availability of N in soil to which controlled release N fertilizer was applied might be higher than that in soil treated with soluble fertilizer. To investigate the changes in the nutrient composition of peat soils at various distances from the sea and the effect on sago palm growth, we studied sago palm areas in Indonesia and Malaysia. To observe the influence of N on the growth performance, we also conducted a fertilizer experiment on coastal lowland peat soil in Indonesia. Distance from the sea had no significant effect on the cation concentration in the soil solution (with the exception of Mg) or on the levels of soil-exchangeable cations. No significant differences were observed between the concentrations of exchangeable cations in surface peat soils and those in mature leaves. However, the concentrations of K, Na, and Ca in mature leaves increased significantly with their concentrations in the soil solution. This finding implies that the concentrations of cations in sago palm leaves depend directly on the concentrations of cations in the soil solution. No significant effect of N fertilizers on plant height and leaf formation was observed. N fertilizers applied twice a year did not affect appreciably the foliar concentration of N determined in December 1998 (5 months after the initial application) and December 1999. In June 2000, we detected a significantly higher concentration of N (p < 0.01) in young leaves of the palms treated with LP-100 or urea than in control leaves. However, no significant difference was detected between the LP-100 and urea treatments in the concentration of N in both mature and young leaves. This finding indicated that the concentration of N in sago palm leaves increased with the level of soil-applied N, regardless of whether N was applied as controlled release fertilizer or in the soluble form. We anticipate that a significant difference in the effects of these N fertilizers may occur during the next rainy season, when there should be a considerable loss of soluble N.

National and international climate change mitigation plans require a knowledge of peat soil extent across large geographic areas. Peat soils, which play a vital role in carbon storage and climate regulation, have a physical margin where soils change from high to low organic content. Accurate delineation of both national extent of peat soils and peat to mineral soil transition is required for assessing land use and planning effective conservation and carbon loss mitigation strategies. This abstract presents a novel approach for defining both peat soil extent nationally and transition zones between peat and mineral soils at field scale. At a national scale, peat soil maps are created using optical satellite remote sensing or legacy soil/quaternary maps or a combination of both. However, optical remote sensing cannot detect peatlands under landcover such as forest or grassland and legacy maps are often created from sparse in-situ auger data making the accurate delineation of the boundary between peat and mineral soils difficult and cost prohibitive. Airborne radiometric data, which measures natural environmental radiation, has been shown to differentiate between peat and mineral soils due to high attenuation of gamma rays in organic soils. Radiometric data is considered a direct measurement of the subsurface and so is minimally affected by landcover. Additionally, as airborne radiometric data can be acquired in a spatially consistent manner, it has the potential to identify areas of peat soil across the landscape and highlight areas of transition between high and low organic soils. In Ireland, the Tellus survey, acquired by Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) aims to acquire airborne data (including radiometric data), consistently across the country (flight line spacing of 200m) at a resolution of 50 x 50 m. Utilising this national radiometric dataset, a machine learning classification methodology is presented. Data are classified as peat (&gt; 30 % organic material) or non-peat, with 85 % accuracy, is validated using a national soils sampling survey. A confidence value is extracted, once data are classified, which results in the identification peat soils. Several field sites across the midlands of Ireland, which are located at verified transition zones, are then used to show the effectiveness of the classification at identifying transition zones at the field scale. The methodology is robust and can be applied in all areas where these data exist. The results highlight that inclusion of an airborne radiometric dataset in a national climate plan can be used to update national and international carbon inventories of peatlands areas and inform European policy. Understanding the location of these peat to mineral soil transitions is paramount when considering the impact on climate change mitigation strategies such as potential impact of rewetting of peat soils.

The aim of the present study was to find out the influence of peat and mineral soils on the leaf nutrient status of highbush blueberry in Latvia to reveal nutrient imbalances, as well as to determinate fertilization practices. Together 90 leaf samples from different blueberry producing plantings developed on peat and mineral soils were collected during 2013-2015 and the content of nutrients was determined (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, B). Overall, the chemical results revealed a high heterogeneity in leaf micronutrient concentrations for both types of substrate. The highest variation was found for Cu and Zn in blueberry leaves from peat soils, while for mineral soils the highest variability in leaves was found for Cu and Mn. In general, environmental conditions expressed a considerable influence on blueberry mineral nutrition. Significantly higher mean levels of Ca, Zn, Cu and B were found in blueberries in peat soils, while higher Mn was observed in mineral soils. The data showed that, according to current nutrient standards, 55 and 48% of total leaf nutrient concentrations were in optimum range for peat and mineral soils, respectively, thus suggesting that peat soil conditions could provide a better nutrient supply for highbush blueberries. The research revealed deficiency of N, P, Cu, Mo and B in the vast majority of leaf samples from both substrates. In addition, low levels of Fe were found for blueberries grown on peat soils, and low levels of Ca and Zn - in mineral soils. Since an optimal nutrient status of crop plants is very important to obtain high-quality yield, special attention should be paid to macronutrients as N and P, as well as micronutrient fertilization to avoid blueberry yield limitation.

Dissipation kinetics of λ-cyhalothrin in mineral and peat soils of Semongok (mineral soil) and Sibu (peat soil) farms was investigated in a laboratory incubation experiment under different temperature and moisture conditions at normal and double application dosages. The soil was spiked with λ-cyhalothrin at 5 and 25 µg/g soil, respectively. The soil moisture content was adjusted to 20, 40, and 60% of field capacity and then incubated in three climatic chambers at 15, 25, and 35 °C. Samples were collected at 0, 7, 21, 42, 70, and 105 days and analysed by Gas Chromatography-Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD). Pesticides from the soil were extracted via a facile-modified QuEChERS method. Recovery studies of λ-cyhalothrin in mineral and peat soils were carried out at 0.05, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 µg/g fortification levels. The percentage of recovered amount was in the range of 81.4–95.0% and 81.3–86.5% for mineral and peat soils, respectively which falls within the acceptable recovery range of 70.0–120.0%. Factors i.e., soil carbon content, moisture, temperature, and applied dosage that render the degradation of λ-cyhalothrin in mineral and peat soils were evaluated. Findings showed that faster λ-cyhalothrin degradation took place in soil that contained low organic carbon content (< 12%), low soil moisture (≤ 20%) and incubated under higher temperatures (≤ 35 °C). Degradation of λ-cyhalothrin was described by first-order kinetics in both mineral and peat soils at various conditions. Half-lives of λ-cyhalothrin in mineral soil were shorter compared to peat soil. This is due to its lower carbon content and lower soil organic matter availability. This study provides significant information to the agriculture industry and farmers on the important factors such as soil properties, environmental conditions and application dosage that will influence the fate of pesticides in soil.Graphical abstract

To make clear the nutritional characteristics of sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensin Jacq.) grown in tropical peat soil, minerals concentration, organic compounds concentration, and photo‐synthetic rate were estimated, and the obtained results were as follows. Since, the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sodium (Na) concentration in mature leaves and trunk were higher in the oil palm than in the sago palm, but potassium (K) concentration was higher in the sago palm than in the oil palm, the minerals (especially N, P, Ca, and Mg) requirement for the oil palm were higher than in the sago palm. This indicates that the sago palm will adapt better than the oil palm to soils with poor nutrients. The manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) concentration in leaves of the sago palm and Ca and aluminum (Al) concentration in leaves of the oil palm increased with the increase of aging, indicating that those elements are eliminated from plants through leaf senescence. In the sago palm, the N and P distribution ratio to leaves remained almost constant during growth, indicating that N and P were predominantly distributed to leaves for maintaining leaf function. The photosynthetic rate [μmole carbon dioxide (CO2) m2 LA sec‐1] at light saturation was lower in the sago palm (5.8) and oil palm (10.0) than in wheat (25.4). As leaf longevity of sago and oil palms was longer (about 12 times) than that of wheat (Triticum aevstium L.), and the minerals concentration and photosynthetic rate remained constant for a long duration of growth, the cumulative carbon (C) accumulation per unit dry weight (photosynthetic rate x leaf longevity) in the individual leaf is assumed to be equal or greater than that of wheat. The photosynthetic ability of sago and oil palms leaves is very important for understanding why sago and oil palms have high productivity in spite of a low nutrient environment.

A field lysimeter experiment was conducted over 150 days to examine the fate of synthetic urinary nitrogen (N) applied to peat and mineral soils, with and without a water table. At the start of the winter season, synthetic urine labelled with 15N, was applied at 500 kg N ha−1. Plant uptake, leaching losses and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes were monitored. Total plant uptake ranged from 11% to 35% of the urine-N applied depending on soil type and treatment. Plant uptake of applied N was greater in the presence of a water table in the mineral soil. Nitrate-N (NO3 --N) was only detected in leachates from the mineral soil, at concentrations up to 146 μg NO3 --N mL−1. Presence of a water table in the mineral soil reduced leaching losses (as inorganic-N) from 47% to 6%, incrased plant uptake and doubled apparent denitrification losses. In the peat soils leaching losses of applied urine-N as inorganic-N were low (<5%). Losses of N as N2O were greater in the mineral soil than in the peat soils, with losses of 3% and <1% of N applied respectively after 100 days. Apparent denitrification losses far exceeded N2O losses and it is postulated that the difference could be due to dinitrogen (N2) loss and soil entrapment of N2.

The common industrial starches are typically derived from cereals (corn, wheat, rice, sorghum), tubers (potato, sweet potato), roots (cassava), and legumes (mung bean, green pea). Sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) starch is perhaps the only example of commercial starch derived from another source, the stem of palm (sago palm). Sago palm has the ability to thrive in the harsh swampy peat environment of certain areas. It is estimated that there are about 2 million ha of natural sago palm forests and about 0.14 million ha of planted sago palm at present, out of a total swamp area of about 20 million ha in Asia and the Pacific Region, most of which are under- or nonutilized. Growing in a suitable environment with organized farming practices, sago palm could have a yield potential of up to 25 tons of starch per hectare per year. Sago starch yield per unit area could be about 3 to 4 times higher than that of rice, corn, or wheat, and about 17 times higher than that of cassava. Compared to the common industrial starches, however, sago starch has been somewhat neglected and relatively less attention has been devoted to the sago palm and its starch. Nevertheless, a number of studies have been published covering various aspects of sago starch such as molecular structure, physicochemical and functional properties, chemical/physical modifications, and quality issues. This article is intended to piece together the accumulated knowledge and highlight some pertinent information related to sago palm and sago starch studies.

This paper aims to study what influence different meteorological parameters have on the radial tree growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in peat and mineral soils, as well as to make predictions of radial tree growth responses to changing climate based on various future climate projections. Four Lithuanian peatland complexes representing different geographical settings and hydrological conditions were studied. From each study site, two tree-ring width (TRW) series were derived, one from trees growing on peat soil and one from trees on mineral soil at the periphery of the peatland. The annual growth rings from trees grown on mineral soils, in different geographical regions in Lithuania, show synchronicity, whereas the correlation between the TRW series from different peatland sites was weak to absent. The main factor that explains radial tree growth at the mineral-soil sites was air temperature during early spring (February–March), which influences the onset and duration of the growing season. However, variations in radial tree growth on the peatland sites were also attributed to lagged hydrological responses relating to precipitation and evaporation over several years. Our future projections show that growth conditions for pine trees on mineral soils will improve in the twenty-first century in Lithuania following an increase of air temperature in early spring. The predictions for the trees growing on peat soils, however, rely on the groundwater-level changes governed by a combination of precipitation and evaporation changes. Towards the end of the twenty-first century, the groundwater level in most Lithuanian peatlands is expected to increase, which most likely will result in harsher growth conditions for the peatland trees. This assumption is, however, open for debate as the peatland trees appear to favour the current warming conditions. It may therefore be too early to precisely predict future growth responses for the peatland trees, but this study is a next step to better understand future climate dynamics and vegetation responses in the Baltic region.

Oil palm grown on peat soil has been reported to be severely attacked by subterranean termites, and this has been thought to be due to the harbouring of the termites in abundant timber residues left behind after the clearing of logged-over peat swamp forests for oil palm cultivation. In this study, oil palm trees and plant residues in plantations established on peat and mineral soils were examined for the presence of termites. The primary termite species capable of killing oil palm trees was Coptotermes curvignathus (Rhinotermitidae). Immature palms were killed as a result of feeding damage to the apical meristem at the base of the spear, while mature palms were killed as a result of damage to the trunk, in which the termite sometimes nested. C. curvignathus was rarely encountered in timber residues or frond heaps on the plantation floor, suggesting that removal of timber residues would not significantly reduce termite attack on oil palm on peat soils. Tivo other species of Coptotermesfound in oil palm trees grown on peat soils were able to form small nests in the trunks of mature palms but did not cause death. Together with Schedorhinotermes spp., they primarily infested plant and wood residues. The results also showed that there was a change in the composition of termite species across different soil types. Termitids were dominant in mineral soil sites, while Rhinotermitids dominated deep peat sites. A high population of C. curvignathus in the original peat swamp habitat is, therefore, likely to be a major factor contributing to the high incidence oftennite attack on oil palm grown on peat soils. Keywords: Coptotermes curvignathus, Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae, termites, peat soil, mineral soil, wood residues, Malaysia.

(1) The microbial and animal contributions to plant decomposition in peat and mineral soils in the northern Pennines were assessed by exposing litter of seven different plant species in nylon bags of two mesh sizes, one of which excluded all soil animals. (2) The average rate of microbial decomposition of the same substrates was similar at the peat and at the mineral sites, but the rates of decomposition of litter from different plant species showed large differences. (3) The role of animals in the decomposition of the plant materials differed markedly according both to the soil type and to the plant species of the substrate. Little of the decomposition of Eriophorum vaginatum and Sphagnum recurvum on peat soils was attributable to animal activity, whereas Calluna vulgaris and Rubus chamaemorus owed an appreciable part of their decomposition to the activity of soil animals. (4) The decomposition losses attributed to micro-organisms and to animals were not significantly correlated. (5) Significantly greater densities of soil animals were found on R. chamaemorus leaves that had been exposed on peat as compared with mineral soils, despite the much lower overall density of soil animals in peat soils. (6) The rates of microbial decomposition of the plant substrates were highly correlated with their P or N concentrations on both peat and mineral soils. When the animal contribution to decomposition was included, the high correlation with N or P was maintained on the mineral soils, but the correlation was lower and not significant on the peat. (7) The concentrations of N and P in the plants used were highly correlated. Their effects were separated by comparison between decomposition rates of litter derived from plants growing on areas fertilized with either N or P, and of litter of control material from the same plant species. The material enriched with N, but not that enriched with P, showed increased decomposition rates. (8) The addition of nitrogen fertilizer to blanket bog produced an increase in the density of soil invertebrates. It also caused increased larval growth in Tipula subnodicornis and Lasiocampa quercus, and increased fecundity in the former. Addition of a phosphorus fertilizer had less marked effects, but where these were significant they usually took the form of a decrease in density or in growth rate. (9) It is concluded that the chemical composition of a plant species is of paramount importance in determining the rate of its decomposition on blanket bog. Peat accumulation on blanket bog is primarily the result of the intrinsic slow decay rate of some of the species in the plant communities on such areas.

The aims of this study are to isolate and identify Entomopathogenic Fungi (EPF) from mineral and peat soils in relation with the soil physico-chemical parameters. The mineral soil was sampled from the MPOB Research Station Hulu Paka in Terengganu, whereas peat soil was sampled from the MPOB Research Station Teluk Intan in Perak. Isolation of these fungi was carried out using a selective medium. Morphological characteristics of fungi were studied by observing the mycelium and conidia grown on agar plates using a light microscope. Soil physico-chemical parameters such as pH, water content, carbon and nitrogen content were also determined. Two species of EPF isolated from both types of soils were identified as Isaria amoenerosea and Metarhizium anisopliae. On potato dextrose agar, the colony of I. amoenerosea was pink in colour and slow growing with floccose mycelium which producing conidiophores with 3 to 4 phialides. The conidia were subglobose or irregular shapes between 2.0-3.0 µm long × 1.7-2.0 µm wide. The colony of M. anisopliae was whitish yellow and turned to dark green when matured; slow growing with floccose mycelium. The conidia were cylindrical with the dimension ranging from 6.0-7.0 µm long × 2.0-2.8 µm wide. The result shows that the occurrence of I. amoenerosea was more dominant than M. anisopliae. In mineral soil, out of 30 samples, I. amoenerosea was isolated from 25 soil samples (83%), while the M. anisopliae was only found in 15 samples (50%). In peat soil, out of 36 samples collected, 26 samples (72%) were found with I. amoenerosea, while the fungus M. anisopliae was isolated from eight samples (22%). In this study, the occurrence of EPF on mineral soil was higher than from peat soil, which was possibly due to low water content, high soil temperature and low C/N ratio.

The results of long-term monitoring of soil temperature regime at Bakchar district (Tomsk region) located in the southern taiga zone of Western Siberia are presented. The temperature regimes of peat and mineral soils are compared; their difference is shown. Peat soil has a smoothed temperature dynamics compared to mineral soil. According to monthly average data, in the warm season, the upper 80 cm of peat soil is 57 C colder than the mineral soil and 0.31.0 C warmer in the cold season. The increased thermal inertia of the peat soil prevents both its heating and cooling.

Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) is a tropical crop that can survive the acidic conditions of peat soil, which is cultivated at large scale in Sarawak (Malaysia). The performance of sago palm on deep peat is variable, and not all specimens are able to grow to maturity and produce a trunk. It is hypothesised that sago growth may be influenced by peat humification because a positive relationship between the fertility of peat soil and its degree of humification has been well reported. This article investigates the humification degree of peat soil used for cultivation of sago palms, as indicated by spectroscopic characteristics. The peat soil adjacent to trunking and non-trunking palms was sampled and compared with exposed uncultivated peat. The results showed that, where largely undecomposed woody material predominated in the underlying peat, degree of humification decreased with increasing depth. Uncultivated peat was more highly humified than cultivated peat because the latter was continuously replenished with new plant matter. On the basis of FTIR spectroscopy, no significant difference was found between cultivated peat sampled adjacent to trunking and non-trunking palms. On the other hand, the UV-Vis and FTIR data suggested lower humification degree in the underlying peat which may have led to inconsistent growth.

Impact of land use change on profile distributions of organic carbon fractions in peat and mineral soils in Northeast China