base, the carbon in this natural capital will be evaluated as only “Carbon Neutral.”
Thus, if we conserve tropical peatland completely, we will be only successful to
maintain carbon cycling in peatland or peat swamp forest. Therefore, the natural
capital conservation does not contribute heavily to the “Resilience” of peatland
ecosystem, because the carbon accumulation in peatland is too small by year. To
achieve the “Resilience” of peatland ecosystem, it is necessary to rely on “Carbon
Positive” strategies.
Tropical peatlands require long-term and persistent management, for which the
high GWL management is the first priority, called as a paludiculture technique. This
technique has long been applied in the European boreal countries which have vast
wetlands, especially peatlands. Paludiculture was originally defined as the traditional
processing of marshland wetlands and peatlands in the form of reed mowing and
litter usage by prioritizing peat preservation. Paludiculture is a wetland management
technique that pays attention to the integrity of land ecosystem by preserving land.
Furthermore, paludiculture is defined as an approach to swamp cultivation as a tool
to rehabilitate degraded peatlands while at the same time making land more useful or
beneficial (Giessen 2018). In relation to strengthening the Peatland Restoration
Agency (BRG, Badan Restorasi Gambut) roles in Indonesia, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2015 defined paludiculture as crop cultivation using swamp
plants or wetland plants that do not require water drainage. Wibisono and Tamrin
(2019) defined paludiculture as a system of cultivation and utilization of native
peatland plants in wet or rewetted peatlands in sustainable ways in order to increase
plant productivity or restore the environment.
However, in the European boreal countries, as plant productivity is extremely
low, especially in peatlands, it is almost impossible to introduce this concept to
tropical peatlands. Actually, in Indonesia, the term of paludiculture was not widely
known and not applied in several locations by the local communities.
In tropical peatlands, the natural capital per unit area is extremely high compared
with that of the European boreal peatlands. Biodiversity and biomass productivity of
native tropical peatland are also extremely high. However, unfortunately, the cultivation system of the European boreal peatlands had been introduced to lower GWL
using canal and drainage digging, which has been extended to almost all cultivation
system in tropical peatlands, causing peatland degradation and many disasters in
tropical peatlands. The Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG), Indonesia was
established in 2015 by combining three main pillars in peat restoration, namely
rewetting, rehabilitation, and revitalization. Moreover, Tata et al. (2018) pointed out
that peatland restoration was aligned with the national development agenda as well a
global agenda, such as Bonn Challenge, the Aichi Targets, Climate Change, and
SDGs. However, paludiculture is non-existent, because there is no comprehension of
the culture in high GWL in tropical peatlands.
Osaki has proposed “AeroHydro culture,” which conserves peatland similar to its
native condition with high GWL as much as possible, and with only land surface
management (see Chaps. 1 and 7 in this book), because the native peat swamp forest
growth (biomass productivity) is extremely high even in the constantly high GWL.
Sago palm is one of the key plants among native peat swamp forest. As sago palm
368
A. P. Tampubolon et al.
Thus, if we conserve tropical peatland completely, we will be only successful to
maintain carbon cycling in peatland or peat swamp forest. Therefore, the natural
capital conservation does not contribute heavily to the “Resilience” of peatland
ecosystem, because the carbon accumulation in peatland is too small by year. To
achieve the “Resilience” of peatland ecosystem, it is necessary to rely on “Carbon
Positive” strategies.
Tropical peatlands require long-term and persistent management, for which the
high GWL management is the first priority, called as a paludiculture technique. This
technique has long been applied in the European boreal countries which have vast
wetlands, especially peatlands. Paludiculture was originally defined as the traditional
processing of marshland wetlands and peatlands in the form of reed mowing and
litter usage by prioritizing peat preservation. Paludiculture is a wetland management
technique that pays attention to the integrity of land ecosystem by preserving land.
Furthermore, paludiculture is defined as an approach to swamp cultivation as a tool
to rehabilitate degraded peatlands while at the same time making land more useful or
beneficial (Giessen 2018). In relation to strengthening the Peatland Restoration
Agency (BRG, Badan Restorasi Gambut) roles in Indonesia, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2015 defined paludiculture as crop cultivation using swamp
plants or wetland plants that do not require water drainage. Wibisono and Tamrin
(2019) defined paludiculture as a system of cultivation and utilization of native
peatland plants in wet or rewetted peatlands in sustainable ways in order to increase
plant productivity or restore the environment.
However, in the European boreal countries, as plant productivity is extremely
low, especially in peatlands, it is almost impossible to introduce this concept to
tropical peatlands. Actually, in Indonesia, the term of paludiculture was not widely
known and not applied in several locations by the local communities.
In tropical peatlands, the natural capital per unit area is extremely high compared
with that of the European boreal peatlands. Biodiversity and biomass productivity of
native tropical peatland are also extremely high. However, unfortunately, the cultivation system of the European boreal peatlands had been introduced to lower GWL
using canal and drainage digging, which has been extended to almost all cultivation
system in tropical peatlands, causing peatland degradation and many disasters in
tropical peatlands. The Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG), Indonesia was
established in 2015 by combining three main pillars in peat restoration, namely
rewetting, rehabilitation, and revitalization. Moreover, Tata et al. (2018) pointed out
that peatland restoration was aligned with the national development agenda as well a
global agenda, such as Bonn Challenge, the Aichi Targets, Climate Change, and
SDGs. However, paludiculture is non-existent, because there is no comprehension of
the culture in high GWL in tropical peatlands.
Osaki has proposed “AeroHydro culture,” which conserves peatland similar to its
native condition with high GWL as much as possible, and with only land surface
management (see Chaps. 1 and 7 in this book), because the native peat swamp forest
growth (biomass productivity) is extremely high even in the constantly high GWL.
Sago palm is one of the key plants among native peat swamp forest. As sago palm
368
A. P. Tampubolon et al.