Nevertheless, the researches on peat soil utilization for economically beneficial
crop planting in Thailand peat swamps seem to be very limited and the results
thereof are inapplicable. Therefore, most of these areas have been left abandoned and
converted to Melaleuca forest mixed with low shrubs such as Melastoma spp.,
sedges, reeds, and grasses.
27.8 Conclusion
Peatlands in Thailand exist mostly in the coastal lowland along the eastern shoreline
of the southern peninsula. The biggest areas of the peatland are found in Narathiwat
Province close to Malaysian border, comprising about 41,897 ha or about 69% of the
total peatland in the country. During the late 1960s, parts of these peatlands have
been utilized to meet the demand on land for agriculture. However, such a reclamation has changed the peat swamp ecosystem and biological diversity as well as
resulted in adverse soil condition. The common practices for the development started
with draining the land dry, then setting fire for clearing swamp forest and the land for
crop planting, beginning with the cultivation of paddy rice and vegetables. But few
years afterwards, the farmers had to leave the land due to poor production and
nonprofitable return. Therefore, most areas have converted to Melaleuca forest,
mixing with ferns, reeds, sedges, grasses, and Melastoma sp. Moreover, the drainage
caused compaction and oxidation of peat, which when combined with occasional
burning resulted in land subsidence. When the peat layer becomes thin and eventually disappears, the underlying mineral sediments rich in pyrite (FeS2) are exposed
to the air, oxidized, and acidified. Thus, the shallow peat soils in many places have
converted to typical acid sulfate soils in due course of time.
Fortunately, not all peatlands, especially in Narathiwat Province, had been
opened for agriculture, in which later on the agriculture development deemed to
be impracticable. There are about 8000 ha of the peatlands in Narathiwat that still
remain as climax forest, which at present is being strictly preserved and legally
registered as the wildlife sanctuary.
Utilization of peatlands for agriculture in Thailand in the beginning appeared to
be unsuccessful and unsustainable, and in most cases, outright reclamation required
a high level of governmental intervention. Therefore, with the supervision of the
Pikun Thong Royal Development Study Centre initiated by His Majesty, the late
King Rama IX, a zonation of land uses within the swamp areas was developed and
implemented. This activity has been adopted for peatland management as the
national strategy. The swamps in Narathiwat are divided into three management
zones, namely development zone (a zone to be developed for specific uses), conservation zone (a zone for rehabilitation), and preservation zone (a zone of climax
swamp forest). Studying Narathiwat as the model, the swamps in Narathiwat are
designated as the preservation zone, covering about 20,100 ha. This zone will be left
untouched in order to maintain the climax natural swamp forest. This zone is legally
registered as the wildlife sanctuary by the Royal Forestry Development. The second
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P. Vijarnsorn
crop planting in Thailand peat swamps seem to be very limited and the results
thereof are inapplicable. Therefore, most of these areas have been left abandoned and
converted to Melaleuca forest mixed with low shrubs such as Melastoma spp.,
sedges, reeds, and grasses.
27.8 Conclusion
Peatlands in Thailand exist mostly in the coastal lowland along the eastern shoreline
of the southern peninsula. The biggest areas of the peatland are found in Narathiwat
Province close to Malaysian border, comprising about 41,897 ha or about 69% of the
total peatland in the country. During the late 1960s, parts of these peatlands have
been utilized to meet the demand on land for agriculture. However, such a reclamation has changed the peat swamp ecosystem and biological diversity as well as
resulted in adverse soil condition. The common practices for the development started
with draining the land dry, then setting fire for clearing swamp forest and the land for
crop planting, beginning with the cultivation of paddy rice and vegetables. But few
years afterwards, the farmers had to leave the land due to poor production and
nonprofitable return. Therefore, most areas have converted to Melaleuca forest,
mixing with ferns, reeds, sedges, grasses, and Melastoma sp. Moreover, the drainage
caused compaction and oxidation of peat, which when combined with occasional
burning resulted in land subsidence. When the peat layer becomes thin and eventually disappears, the underlying mineral sediments rich in pyrite (FeS2) are exposed
to the air, oxidized, and acidified. Thus, the shallow peat soils in many places have
converted to typical acid sulfate soils in due course of time.
Fortunately, not all peatlands, especially in Narathiwat Province, had been
opened for agriculture, in which later on the agriculture development deemed to
be impracticable. There are about 8000 ha of the peatlands in Narathiwat that still
remain as climax forest, which at present is being strictly preserved and legally
registered as the wildlife sanctuary.
Utilization of peatlands for agriculture in Thailand in the beginning appeared to
be unsuccessful and unsustainable, and in most cases, outright reclamation required
a high level of governmental intervention. Therefore, with the supervision of the
Pikun Thong Royal Development Study Centre initiated by His Majesty, the late
King Rama IX, a zonation of land uses within the swamp areas was developed and
implemented. This activity has been adopted for peatland management as the
national strategy. The swamps in Narathiwat are divided into three management
zones, namely development zone (a zone to be developed for specific uses), conservation zone (a zone for rehabilitation), and preservation zone (a zone of climax
swamp forest). Studying Narathiwat as the model, the swamps in Narathiwat are
designated as the preservation zone, covering about 20,100 ha. This zone will be left
untouched in order to maintain the climax natural swamp forest. This zone is legally
registered as the wildlife sanctuary by the Royal Forestry Development. The second
748
P. Vijarnsorn