Tropical organic soils ecosystems in relation to regional water resources in southeast Asia

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6766882

Armentano, T. V.

Tropical organic soils have functioned as natural sinks for carbon, nitrogen, slfur and other nutrients for the past 4000 years or more. Topographic evolution in peat swamp forests towards greater oligotrophy has concentrated storage of the limited nutrient stock in surface soils and biota. Tropical peat systems thus share common ecosystem characteristics with northern peat bogs and certain tropical oligotrophic forests. Organic matter accumulation and high cation-exchange-capacity limit nutrient exports from undisturbed organic soils, although nutrient retention declines with increasing eutrophy and wetland productivity. Peat swamps are subject to irreversible degradation if severely altered because disturbance of vegetation, surface peats and detritus can disrupt nuttrient cycles and reduce forest recovery capacity. Drainage also greatly increases exports of nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients and leads to downstream eutrophication and water quality degradation. Regional planning for clean water supplies must recognize the benefits provided by natural peatlands in balancing water supplies and regulating water chemistry.

• Research Organization: Butler Univ., Indianapolis, IN (USA). Holcomb Research Inst.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-81EV10725
• OSTI ID: 6766882
• Report Number(s): CONF-821118-1; ON: DE83000994
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
CARBON
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EUTROPHICATION
FORESTS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
LAND USE
MINERAL CYCLING
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NUTRIENTS
ORGANIC MATTER
PEAT
PHOSPHORUS
POLLUTION
SINKS
SOILS
SWAMPS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
TROPICAL REGIONS
WATER POLLUTION
WATER QUALITY
WETLANDS