Post Peat Fire Soil Natural Recovery Based on Physical Properties in South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia always experiences forest and peatland fires during the extreme dry season. Forest and land fires greatly affect productivity and the environment. The fire was very detrimental to the ecological, economic and social aspects, in addition to the spread of smoke in various countries. This study examines the recovery rate of peat soil after the 2015 fire in the Balangan River - Batangalai River Peat Hydrological Unit (KHG), South Kalimantan. Test results on post-fire land in 2015 after five years (T+5) with a pH value of 2.93; water content is 270.94% and bulk density is 0.225 g cm-3. At (T+7) the test results showed that the pH value was 3.20, the water content was 288.22% and the bulk density was 0.165 g cm-3. Changes in the value of physical properties for five years and seven years after the fire for the pH value increased by 8.60%; the water content value also increased by 5.99% and the bulk density value decreased by 5.99%. Test results on natural (unburn) land in 2015 after five years (T+5) with a pH value of 3.32; water content is 342.60% and bulk density is 0.098 g cm-3. At (T+7) the test results showed that the pH value was 3.43, the water content was 349.94% and the bulk density was 0.082 g cm-3. Changes in the value of physical properties for five years and seven years after the fire for the pH value increased by 3.13%; the value of water content also increased by 2.10% and the value of bulk density decreased by 19.51%. This research is able to indicate that the post fire peat soil naturally become getting close to the unburn condition even though it still in a degraded condition.