Insights Into the Persistence and Vulnerability of Tropical Peat Carbon Stocks From a Long‐Term Field Decomposition Experiment

Global Biogeochemical Cycles 2026 Open access

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Authors: Clarice R. Perryman, Mackenzie R. Baysinger, Ale×ander R. Cobb, L. Gandois, J. P. Chanton, Theo Evans, A. Chua, Janguran Eri, Haji Bohari bin Haji Idi, Jeffery Muli Incham, Judy P. Pu, Aloysius Teo
+3 more Ramasamy Anak Zulkiflee, Charles Franklin Harvey, Alison May Hoyt
DOI: 10.1029/2025gb008821
Cited by: 1
References: 37

Abstract

Abstract Tropical peatlands contain around one‐sixth of the global peat carbon stock. Decomposition is a key determinant of tropical peat persistence, but there is a scarcity of data on decomposition in tropical peatlands. To further understand decomposition in tropical peatlands, we conducted an 8‐year field experiment in a primary peat swamp forest in Brunei. We tracked mass loss and the organic matter composition of Shorea albida wood buried at multiple depths over 8 years, including blocks buried with and without termite exclusion mesh. The proportion of time wood blocks spent above the water table explained the majority of the variation in wood decomposition over time. Carbon loss from wood that spent

Fields of Study & Subjects

Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology Fire effects on ecosystems Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies

Publication details

Journal / source
Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Volume
40
Issue
1
Publication date
1 January 2026
Language
EN