Peat Soil In Malaysia

Peat soil is a challenging soil with brownish black in color consist of high decomposed organic material high moisture content 100 high compressibility 0 9 1 5 low shear strength 5 20.

Peat soil in malaysia. Since peat soils are organic in nature the bulk density is also low. Peat soils are the results from the decomposition of organic matter and the. However we must caution that the problems with planting oil palms on deep peat escalated exponentially with the areas of peat particularly in relation to the amount of good mineral soils in the plantation. With their soil made up of predominantly organic matter the world s peatlands store twice as much carbon dioxide one of the climate changing greenhouse gases as its forests.

Peat swamps in malaysia may store up to 20 times more carbon than adjacent lowland forests. In total malaysia alone is estimated to have 9 gt of carbon contained in its peatlands. Workshop on classification and management of peat in malaysia. In malaysia virgin lowland peat areas are often.

Fibers found in the soil especially in peaty soil play an important role in the determination of soil compressibility. An estimated 550 gigatons to be precise. Draining peat soils releases carbon dioxide. Paramananthan s zauyah s lim cp chan yk boaklan d 1984 proposals for a unified classification of organic soils in malaysia.

Malaysia s peat swamp forests conservation and sustainable use feb 28 2014 peat swamp forests are an important component of the world s wetlands the dynamic link between land and water a transition zone where the flow of water the cycling of nutrients and the energy of the sun combine to produce a unique ecosystem of hydrology soils and vegetation. The high water table and the soft nature of the soil make peat soils soggy and it is not easy to walk on an undrained peat soil without sinking down. While high water tables are responsible for preventing the organic material from decaying the flipside is that when these peat soils are drained they are again exposed to oxygen. Soil sci march 1984 google scholar.

As such mapping virgin peat soil areas is not liked by many soil surveyors.