Progressive release of long-stored carbon from tropical peatland disturbances.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 42204156.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-026-72890-y and PMC identifier 13216611.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Tropical peatlands are globally important, millennia-old carbon sinks, yet unprecedented human-driven degradation is triggering alarming carbon emissions. Comprehensive quantification of carbon dynamics across the disturbance sequence-from peat swamp forests to drained and fire-impacted peatlands-remains a critical knowledge gap. Here we show that over 18 years (1996-2014), drainage and subsequent peat fires released approximately 30-41 kg C m<sup>-2</sup> from peatlands in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, using radiocarbon dating of peat profiles and groundwater dissolved organic carbon. Drainage contributed 5-11 kg C m<sup>-2</sup>, primarily from centuries- to millennium-old, previously waterlogged peat. Fires released 23-32 kg C m<sup>-2</sup> from peat accumulated over the past 3,000 years, initiating progressive oxidative decomposition of older peat. Extrapolation to Indonesia's disturbed peatlands suggests a release of 0.81-3.70 Gt C between 1996 and 2014, with ongoing decomposition releasing an additional 0.03-0.08 Gt C annually, accelerating the impact on the global carbon balance.