• Water Cycle and Water Reservoir,
• Carbon Cycle and Carbon Reservoir, and
• Nutrient Cycle and Nutrient Reservoir.
As the tropical peatland ecosystem has been maintained for more than 100 or
1000 years, it is hypothesized that nutrient cycling (flow) is efficient and quick, and
then the nutrient reservoir (stock) gradually decreases in peat soil because the water
supply in dome-shaped peatlands is mostly from only rain. This means that there is
no external input of nutrients into the tropical peatlands. Meanwhile, a tropical
peatland forest is a millstone of this nutrient cycling (flow). If there are no forests
in a tropical peatland, nutrient cycling (flow) is disrupted, and carbon cycling (flow)
becomes abnormal; finally, water cycling (flow) becomes uncertain. Climate change
caused by forest loss should comprehensively affect the tropical peatland ecosystem
through water reverse processes; El Niño causes unbalanced rainfall (water cycle)
and water loss (water reservoir), unbalanced rainfall then leads to peatland degradation (carbon stock) and forest growth (carbon cycle), and finally nutrient loss
(nutrient cycle and reservoir).
As forests (trees) are an ecological keystone (milestone) of the water, carbon, and
nutrient parameters, forests (trees) are here referred to as having a “Forest-Pivot
Function” in eco-management because if forests (trees) are degraded, cleared, or
burnt, all water, carbon, and nutrient balances or systems fall into disorder, become
damaged, degrade, and can then completely break down.
It is concluded that a forest is a stabilizer of tropical peatland ecosystems with
regard to the flow (cycling) and stock (reservoir) of carbon, water, and nutrients,
which is called the Forest-Pivot Function. Thus, eco-management of tropical
peatlands should be based on excellent forest management, not on annual crop
culture and the introduction of a mono-cropping system. It is assumed that the key
elements of the basic ecosystem of tropical peatlands are composed of three cyclic
interrelated systems; water cycle, carbon cycle, and nutrient cycle (Fig. 2.3).
Solar energy drives these three cyclic systems. Forests in tropical peatland serve
as a crucial pivot for the water, carbon, and nutrient cycles. Forests in tropical
peatland have a role not only in their cycling but also in their reservoirs, and this
related to economic and energetic factors such as flow and stock, respectively.
Undoubtedly, if a forest is undergoing deforestation or degradation, any excess
solar energy could quickly lead to the breakdown and destruction of these flow
and stock systems in tropical peatlands.
2.5.1 Water Cycle and Water Reservoir
High solar radiation energy evaporates seawater, which causes clouds to move
constantly toward land due to the heat gradient between sea and land (Worden
et al. 2007; Yamanaka 2016). Thus, as precipitation and cloud distribution are the
2 Principles of Eco-Management in a Large-Scale Ecosystem of Tropical Peatland
73
• Carbon Cycle and Carbon Reservoir, and
• Nutrient Cycle and Nutrient Reservoir.
As the tropical peatland ecosystem has been maintained for more than 100 or
1000 years, it is hypothesized that nutrient cycling (flow) is efficient and quick, and
then the nutrient reservoir (stock) gradually decreases in peat soil because the water
supply in dome-shaped peatlands is mostly from only rain. This means that there is
no external input of nutrients into the tropical peatlands. Meanwhile, a tropical
peatland forest is a millstone of this nutrient cycling (flow). If there are no forests
in a tropical peatland, nutrient cycling (flow) is disrupted, and carbon cycling (flow)
becomes abnormal; finally, water cycling (flow) becomes uncertain. Climate change
caused by forest loss should comprehensively affect the tropical peatland ecosystem
through water reverse processes; El Niño causes unbalanced rainfall (water cycle)
and water loss (water reservoir), unbalanced rainfall then leads to peatland degradation (carbon stock) and forest growth (carbon cycle), and finally nutrient loss
(nutrient cycle and reservoir).
As forests (trees) are an ecological keystone (milestone) of the water, carbon, and
nutrient parameters, forests (trees) are here referred to as having a “Forest-Pivot
Function” in eco-management because if forests (trees) are degraded, cleared, or
burnt, all water, carbon, and nutrient balances or systems fall into disorder, become
damaged, degrade, and can then completely break down.
It is concluded that a forest is a stabilizer of tropical peatland ecosystems with
regard to the flow (cycling) and stock (reservoir) of carbon, water, and nutrients,
which is called the Forest-Pivot Function. Thus, eco-management of tropical
peatlands should be based on excellent forest management, not on annual crop
culture and the introduction of a mono-cropping system. It is assumed that the key
elements of the basic ecosystem of tropical peatlands are composed of three cyclic
interrelated systems; water cycle, carbon cycle, and nutrient cycle (Fig. 2.3).
Solar energy drives these three cyclic systems. Forests in tropical peatland serve
as a crucial pivot for the water, carbon, and nutrient cycles. Forests in tropical
peatland have a role not only in their cycling but also in their reservoirs, and this
related to economic and energetic factors such as flow and stock, respectively.
Undoubtedly, if a forest is undergoing deforestation or degradation, any excess
solar energy could quickly lead to the breakdown and destruction of these flow
and stock systems in tropical peatlands.
2.5.1 Water Cycle and Water Reservoir
High solar radiation energy evaporates seawater, which causes clouds to move
constantly toward land due to the heat gradient between sea and land (Worden
et al. 2007; Yamanaka 2016). Thus, as precipitation and cloud distribution are the
2 Principles of Eco-Management in a Large-Scale Ecosystem of Tropical Peatland
73