Extending wire method for field assessment of surface peat thickness loss due to peat fire incidence in oil palm plantations

Abstract

This paper contributes the development of a research method for the assessment of surface peat thickness loss due to peat fire incidence in oil palm plantation, since there are oil palm tree stumps still standing in the field after a fire. Peat thickness loss due to peat fire in June 2013 was assessed in an oil palm plantation in Rokan Hilir, Riau Province in April and November of 2015. The total burnt area of up to 114 ha and the surrounding areas that were burned was estimated to be more than 3,000 ha. In order to assess the loss of the surface thickness due to peat fire, the length of rooting system of the oil palm plants above ground was measured. The length of roots is a key parameter of measurement for this study. Since there were parts of the oil palm that was unburned at the burned site the different length of oil palm rooting system above ground was compared between the burnt and unburnt areas. The comparison was conducted with a total of 3,789 sample points of measurement. The result showed that the surface thickness loss is 7 mm in the total burned area.