system] and Drainage-based Water Management (WM) [drainage system]. The
proposed eco-management of tropical peatland includes (1) the importance of
Stock-based WM, (2) how to establish Stock-based WM, and (3) how to improve
Drainage-based WM in Stock-based WM.
Tropical peatland management should be conducted through Stock-based WM
instead of the previous and destructive Drainage-based WM. The introduction of
Stock-based WM with no fertilizer would also allow for carbon-negative management. Although there are also concerns about the impacts of the destruction of
tropical forests on the global water cycle, the proposed Stock-based WM system
and reforestation could play an important role in pumping water into the atmosphere.
Therefore, Drainage-based WM should be replaced by Stock-based WM at the
earliest possible time to reduce global climate change.
Keywords Drainage-based water management · Stock-based water management ·
Water cycle · Carbon cycle · Nutrients cycle
2.1 Introduction
Since 1800, the area of the world’s peatlands has declined significantly (estimated to
be at least 10–20%) due to climate change and human activities, especially drainage
for agriculture and forestry (Joosten and Clarke 2002). The main impact on tropical
peatlands is from human activities through agriculture, deforestation, fire, and land
drainage. Large-scale commercial forestry operations take place on peatlands in
many countries, and it is estimated that nearly 15 Mha of the world’s peatlands
have been drained for commercial forestry.
According to a bibliometric analysis by van Bellen and Larivière (2020), the
number of articles on peat ecosystems has increased from 93 papers in 1991 to
622 papers in 2017. While the number of papers on peatland management and
protection has increased since 2000, the number of papers on botany, geology, and
pollution has decreased significantly since 1991. Regarding peatland hydrological
studies, approximately half have been conducted in Canada and the USA, and only a
few in Indonesia with a focus on the tropics. It is clear that peatland management has
been relatively well studied in temperate regions, and hydrology has been predominantly conducted in the northern hemisphere. In Europe, peat ecosystems have been
drained for agriculture and forestry and converted to land suitable for use. Peat has
also been used as a fuel since the medieval period. Consequently, almost half of the
peatlands have been lost in the last 1000 years (Joosten and Clarke 2002). Furthermore, it is undeniable that the studies carried out in temperate regions and the
Northern Hemisphere have had a significant impact on peatland management in
the tropics. These findings have not always been successful in guiding tropical
peatland management.
Joosten and Clarke (2002) classified forestry on mires and peatlands into two
categories: “Conserving management forestry” is sustainable forest management,
64
T. Kato et al.
proposed eco-management of tropical peatland includes (1) the importance of
Stock-based WM, (2) how to establish Stock-based WM, and (3) how to improve
Drainage-based WM in Stock-based WM.
Tropical peatland management should be conducted through Stock-based WM
instead of the previous and destructive Drainage-based WM. The introduction of
Stock-based WM with no fertilizer would also allow for carbon-negative management. Although there are also concerns about the impacts of the destruction of
tropical forests on the global water cycle, the proposed Stock-based WM system
and reforestation could play an important role in pumping water into the atmosphere.
Therefore, Drainage-based WM should be replaced by Stock-based WM at the
earliest possible time to reduce global climate change.
Keywords Drainage-based water management · Stock-based water management ·
Water cycle · Carbon cycle · Nutrients cycle
2.1 Introduction
Since 1800, the area of the world’s peatlands has declined significantly (estimated to
be at least 10–20%) due to climate change and human activities, especially drainage
for agriculture and forestry (Joosten and Clarke 2002). The main impact on tropical
peatlands is from human activities through agriculture, deforestation, fire, and land
drainage. Large-scale commercial forestry operations take place on peatlands in
many countries, and it is estimated that nearly 15 Mha of the world’s peatlands
have been drained for commercial forestry.
According to a bibliometric analysis by van Bellen and Larivière (2020), the
number of articles on peat ecosystems has increased from 93 papers in 1991 to
622 papers in 2017. While the number of papers on peatland management and
protection has increased since 2000, the number of papers on botany, geology, and
pollution has decreased significantly since 1991. Regarding peatland hydrological
studies, approximately half have been conducted in Canada and the USA, and only a
few in Indonesia with a focus on the tropics. It is clear that peatland management has
been relatively well studied in temperate regions, and hydrology has been predominantly conducted in the northern hemisphere. In Europe, peat ecosystems have been
drained for agriculture and forestry and converted to land suitable for use. Peat has
also been used as a fuel since the medieval period. Consequently, almost half of the
peatlands have been lost in the last 1000 years (Joosten and Clarke 2002). Furthermore, it is undeniable that the studies carried out in temperate regions and the
Northern Hemisphere have had a significant impact on peatland management in
the tropics. These findings have not always been successful in guiding tropical
peatland management.
Joosten and Clarke (2002) classified forestry on mires and peatlands into two
categories: “Conserving management forestry” is sustainable forest management,
64
T. Kato et al.