Tropical peatlands in the Anthropocene: The present and the future

Abstract

Tropical peatlands are a globally important carbon store. They host significant biodiversity and provide a range of other important ecosystem services, including food and medicines for local communities. Tropical peatlands are increasingly modified by humans in the rapid and transformative way typical of the “Anthropocene,” with the most significant human—driven changes to date occurring in Southeast Asia. This review synthesizes the dominant changes observed in human interactions with tropical peatlands in the last 200 years, focusing on the tropical lowland peatlands of Southeast Asia. We identify the beginning of transformative anthropogenic processes in these carbon-rich ecosystems, chart the intensification of these processes in the 20 th and early 21 st centuries, and assess their impacts on key ecosystem services in the present. Where data exist, we compare the tropical peatlands of Central Africa and Amazonia, which have experienced very different scales of disturbance in the recent past. We explore their global importance and how environmental pressures may affect them in the future. Finally, looking to the future, we identify ongoing efforts in peatland conservation, management, restoration, and socio-economic development, as well as areas of fruitful research toward sustainability of tropical peatlands. • Tropical peatlands are under threat from ongoing human impact in the Anthropocene. • Not all tropical peatlands have been equally exposed to human influences in the past, and many peatlands provide vital ecosystem services for local communities • Current trajectories for climate and land use change disturbances differ between the three major tropical peatland regions • Local to global initiatives and partnerships (for example the Global Peatlands Initiative) allow the sharing of knowledge between actors and provide an opportunity to improve peatland outcomes, including restoration and conservation