Abstract
In geotechnical field, peat soil is defined as soil which is formed by accumulation of purely one hundred percent organic matter and which the distinction between soil and vegetative accumulation is not clear. The main objectives of this review paper are to summarize and compare the geochemical properties of peat soil in different districts of Sarawak. Case studies that have been chosen covered central of Sarawak up to the North of Sarawak. Geochemical properties of peat soil that being observed are pH, total carbon, organic matter, bulk density and the total nitrogen. Geochemical properties are found to be governed by the types of material inside the soil and also strongly correlated with the engineering properties of soil. Notably showed that the types of organic matter, namely fibre and/or humidified organic inside the soil will influence the soil porosity. The findings of the studies showed that geochemical properties of the peat soil in different districts of Sarawak is site dependent and could be affected by the different land use or land activities. The differences in land use and land activities affected the bulk density, pH and types of organic matter in the soil. The result indicated that peat soil land in different district can categorized as acidic soil because of the pH range is between 3.3-3.75. For the bulk density, the lowest value is recorded at the Dalat sago plantation site, which is 0.14 g/cm3. For the value of the total carbon, peat soil from the Laogan Bunut National Park is the lowest, 47.6%. Furthermore, total carbon is related to the soil organic matter, coincidentally the value of soil organic matter in Miri found to be the lowest which is 74.59%. Result for the total nitrogen, there are little difference between the district. Range of the total nitrogen is from 0.9% to 2.4%, Sibu site is getting the lowest value in this case.
Highlights
Over the last decade, Sarawak has undergone rapid development with the aim to reach the 2020 vision as high income country
The pH test was determined by the method outlined in soil sampling and analysis handbook [13] while the soil organic matter and total carbon were analyzed by using loss on ignition method [14]
The results showed that total nitrogen of peat soil varies greatly while other properties remain quite constant
Summary
Sarawak has undergone rapid development with the aim to reach the 2020 vision as high income country. Types of forest determined the type of peat deposit formed. Human activities could affect the chemical and physical properties of the peat soil [5]. Soil solid phrase is mixture of inorganic and organic matter which have different chemical composition. In this solid phrase, inorganic and organic will have different particles with the different sizes, shapes and the component. There are importance that to determine out the geochemical in soil to an understanding practical. The areas were reported to undergo different human activities in which Sibu site was timber harvesting site at Igan, Dalat site was sago plantation, Bintulu site was oil palm plantation and Miri site was the original forest (Loagan Bunut National Park). The correlation in between the geochemical properties of the peat soil and the land use/land activity is further discussed
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