Chapter 8
The Role of Mycorrhizal Fungi
for Supporting AeroHydro Culture
in Tropical Peatland
Maman Turjaman and Mitsuru Osaki
Abstract Restoration of tropical peatland ecosystem (including swamps and forests) is a sustainable activity to rebuild, manage, and recover various aspects of the
ecosystem components. Indigenous forest tree species and their communities are
important components for the sustainability of nutrient cycle assisted by the important role of forest microbes. They work in the forest floor underground, especially
decomposers, saprophytic fungi, pathogenic fungi, ectomycorrhizal fungi,
arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria. They
contribute to build the infrastructure of nutrient mineralization and carbon cycles
in the forest floor. This paper described some ideas to develop a formulation of the
role of mycorrhizal fungi in synergizing AeroHydro Culture and restoration activities in a tropical peatland ecosystem. Mycorrhizal fungi could synergize with other
AeroHydro Culture components and also host trees to be introduced. The growth of
new young roots around the plant is a trick to emerge exudate carbohydrates so that
mycorrhizal fungi can be symbiotic. Thus, the mycorrhizal fungal propagules
including spores could be germinated. The AeroHydro Culture formulation can be
organic materials; plant growth substances, essential nutrients for root stimulation,
mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), biochar and
zeolite as porosity agents and microbial houses that synergize with roots can also
increase the colonization of mycorrhizal fungi introduced in a natural forest and
forest plantation. AeroHydro Culture is a cultivation technology integrated to stimulate functional aerial roots of the trees in peatland under high groundwater level
(GWL). In stagnant conditions, AeroHydro Culture stimulates forest trees to produce
new young roots, so that in limited conditions it could enhance tree productivity and
microbial biodiversity below the ground. It is expected in the near future that the
application of AeroHydro Culture can contribute and increase the productivity of
M. Turjaman (*)
Forest Research and Development Centre, Forestry and Environment Research, Development,
and Innovation Agency, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Bogor, Indonesia
M. Osaki
Hokkaido University, Japan Peatland Society (JPS), Hokkaido, Japan
e-mail: mosaki@chem.agr.hokudai.ac.jp
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Osaki et al. (eds.), Tropical Peatland Eco-management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4654-3_8
285
The Role of Mycorrhizal Fungi
for Supporting AeroHydro Culture
in Tropical Peatland
Maman Turjaman and Mitsuru Osaki
Abstract Restoration of tropical peatland ecosystem (including swamps and forests) is a sustainable activity to rebuild, manage, and recover various aspects of the
ecosystem components. Indigenous forest tree species and their communities are
important components for the sustainability of nutrient cycle assisted by the important role of forest microbes. They work in the forest floor underground, especially
decomposers, saprophytic fungi, pathogenic fungi, ectomycorrhizal fungi,
arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria. They
contribute to build the infrastructure of nutrient mineralization and carbon cycles
in the forest floor. This paper described some ideas to develop a formulation of the
role of mycorrhizal fungi in synergizing AeroHydro Culture and restoration activities in a tropical peatland ecosystem. Mycorrhizal fungi could synergize with other
AeroHydro Culture components and also host trees to be introduced. The growth of
new young roots around the plant is a trick to emerge exudate carbohydrates so that
mycorrhizal fungi can be symbiotic. Thus, the mycorrhizal fungal propagules
including spores could be germinated. The AeroHydro Culture formulation can be
organic materials; plant growth substances, essential nutrients for root stimulation,
mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), biochar and
zeolite as porosity agents and microbial houses that synergize with roots can also
increase the colonization of mycorrhizal fungi introduced in a natural forest and
forest plantation. AeroHydro Culture is a cultivation technology integrated to stimulate functional aerial roots of the trees in peatland under high groundwater level
(GWL). In stagnant conditions, AeroHydro Culture stimulates forest trees to produce
new young roots, so that in limited conditions it could enhance tree productivity and
microbial biodiversity below the ground. It is expected in the near future that the
application of AeroHydro Culture can contribute and increase the productivity of
M. Turjaman (*)
Forest Research and Development Centre, Forestry and Environment Research, Development,
and Innovation Agency, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Bogor, Indonesia
M. Osaki
Hokkaido University, Japan Peatland Society (JPS), Hokkaido, Japan
e-mail: mosaki@chem.agr.hokudai.ac.jp
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Osaki et al. (eds.), Tropical Peatland Eco-management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4654-3_8
285