Peat Swamp Forest

Peat Swamp Forest is tropical waterlogged lowland forest, where waterlogged soils prevent dead leaves and wood from fully decomposing, which over time creates thick layer of acidic peat. Peat swamp forest is actually transition of forest that gradually change through elevation from mangrove forest in coastal area, change into peat swamp forest and finally lowland rainforest. It is not actually have to be in that transition but easier to understand of Malaysia Rainforest hierarchy in such way.  Bukit Bauk Forest in Dungun Terengganu is good example of Hill Rainforest formed straightaway from pristine beach of South China Sea that choose to differ from this hierarchy. Peat Swamp Forest in tropical region is different from peat area of Europe or colder region which normally in  grassy form of wetland. Peat swamp forest in South East Asia region such as Kalimantan, Sarawak, Sumatra, Mekong and Raja Musa Forest Reserve in Selangor have more diverse vegetation with high canopy tree, and hosting some of rare and endangered species such as Meranti Bunga tree as well as wildlife. Orang Utan is a good example of wildlife that live in peat swamp forest habitat, this endangered species are all gone in Peninsular Malaysia and only left and survive in Borneo and Sumatra. In Peninsular Malaysia peat swamp forest can be found at MerangTerengganu, Sungai Karang and Raja Muda Musa Forest Reserve in Selangor, and Rompin in Pahang.

Wetland Putrajaya

Peat Swamp Forest Logged & Destroyed

Peat Swamp Forest is crucial in global climate control. The prime ecological function of peat swamp forest is its role as natural carbon sink, and its ability to absorb and store water to act as natural reservoir. What Kuala Lumpur Smart Tunnel is built for that cost Billion of RM to channel rainwater to special reservoir, this peat swamp forest could serve the same function naturally and that would value much more than that. It's reported that some of this peat swamp forest has more than 3 meter deep. The drainage of this peat swamp forest is afraid would cause ecological disaster to us, not only we will lost of natural flood mitigation system but the drainage itself will degrade the quality and natural function of peat swamp itself as carbon sink. Uncontrolled drainage would cause peat swamp forest to lose its moisture and become drier. This will effect forest regeneration. Botanist that study South Kuala Langat Peat Swamp Forest in Selangor has observed a lack of Meranti Bunga Tree seedling even in deep virgin Peat Swamp Forest. This could mean that the species is not reproducing perhaps due to deterioration of the peat soil.

Peat swamp forest act as carbon sink by accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period in its reservoir. The process by which carbon sinks remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is known as carbon sequestration or a biogeochemical cycle or nutrient cycle. This cycle is just like water cycle. Water, for example, is always recycled through the water cycle -  The water undergoes evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, falling back to Earth clean and fresh. Elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another through the biogeochemical cycles. The same cycle also happen to carbon CO_2. . Peat Swamp Forest would store carbon in its reservoir in long period of time. This will eventually turn into peat and coal. When chemicals are held for only short periods of time, they are being held in exchange pools. Examples of exchange pools include plants and animals. Plants and animals utilize carbon to produce carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which can then be used to build their internal structures or to obtain energy. Plants and animals temporarily use carbon in their systems and then release it back into the air or surrounding medium. Carbon is held for a relatively short time in plants and animals in comparison to coal and peat deposits. 

A peat fired power station in Finland

Same as coal, peat from peat swamp forest could be used as source of energy. Peat can be used as raw material in electric producing power plant. This explained why a fire at drained peat swamp forest is hard to extinguished. Dry peat layer deep into the soil could burn for a long time and cause a lot of smoke. If left untreated this peat swamp forest with its abundant of raw power source could burn for months and cause thick haze. Open fire of peat swamp forest in Kalimantan and Sumatra in 1997-1998 and 2002-2003 has cause major haze problem that blanket main South East Asia Cities of Kuala Lumpur, Singapore  and Jakarta for months. Open fire is an easy and cheap way to clear peat swamp forest for plantation and agriculture.

Russia, Finland and Ireland are main power producer from  peat fired power station. It is some kind of weird for western country to accuse developing country of neglecting environmental responsibility while they at the same time contribute so much of carbon release. Westerner environmentalist call for developing Tropical Countries to stop deforestation of peat swamp forest and rainforest while they at the same time harvested  their peatland, this is like crap preaching other to crawl straight while they at the same time go sideway.

It is acknowledge that reclamation of the peat swamp forest for development is unavoidable. Malaysia for example has build its Kuala Lumpur International Airport KLIA and Sepang International Circuit on peat swamp forest and effectively cut through Kuala Langat Forest Reserve into 2, that create North and South Forest Reserve. Bit and pieces of it has become   oil palm plantation. However its important now for us to preserve and protect what is left. New development and new agriculture area should use and optimized what we already have of those unused and idle land. New rule could be formulated for government to utilize idle land instead of deforestation. 

We are losing our Peat forest as vast area of peat swamp forest continue to be cleared, drained and razed. Only one fifth (470,303ha) of the country's peat land are still relatively undisturbed with a forest canopy cover of over   70%_{1 .} Peat Swamp Forest ecology system is sensitive because of it dependence on intricate balance  between hydrology, vegetation and soil. Most of this Peatlands lost is due to creation of new oil palm plantations. Hope that recent proposal by Selangor State Government to convert Kuala Langat South Forest Reserve into oil palm plantation would just be a proposal. Better still Selangor Government should think of way to promote Peat Swamp Forest as tourist destination. What we see in Putrajaya Wetland for example is a very good way to utilize it other than to turn it into another oil palm plantation. We have rainforest of Taman Negara Pahang that has been a proven tourist destination, so why not another Taman Negara for Peat Swamp Forest? not only it will be another attraction but also would reward us back environmentally. If the benefit of Peat Swamp Forest provide such as preventing saline water intrusion, flood mitigation,maintaining minimun flow in rivers, and carbon recycle can be value monetarily, then factored into decision making with regard to management of peatlands, the call would be for us to protect our remaining Peat Swamp Forest and the degraded one should be rehabilitated for sustainable use.

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1. A Quick Scan of Peatland in Malaysia, by Wetland International, 2010 


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