Peat swamp

In Indonesia

Peat swamp forests originally represented major ecosystems in Indonesia and ranged between 16.5 and 27 million hectares. In their original state, Indonesian peat swamp forests released between 0.01 and 0.03 Gt of carbon annually. In recent years, however, these important ecosystems have been reduced through deforestation, drainage, and conversion to agricultural lands and other activities. Their current status as carbon sequestering systems have thus also been reduced significantly. An understanding of the global importance of peat (and thus the urgency of maintaining peat swamp forests) and identifying alternative ways of making these areas productive in an environmentally sound and sustainable manner should have high priority among scientists and policy-makers alike.