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Title: Monitoring Peat Water Levels As an Early Warning Indicator for Peat Forest Fire Management Programme
Date: 19-Mar-2002
Category: Workshop Papers
Source/Author: Ahmad Ainuddin Nuruddin

Peat forest fire frequency has been on the increase at an alarming rate. This year 15, 147 ha of peat areas have been affected by forest fire. This problem is further compounded by the fact that some of the affected areas have burned twice or more. If left unabated, peat areas that will be at risk to fire, will be on the increase. Therefore there is a need to develop an early warning indicator of peat forest fire occurrence. This paper explores the use of water level monitoring for the early warning indicator for forest fire occurrence. A study has been conducted to investigate the temporal characteristics of the peat water level and to understand the relationship between water table and peat moisture. The study was conducted at Compartment 101, Raja Musa Forest Reserve, Selangor. This area was on fire in several occasions, which in 1998, early June 1999 and 9 March 2000. A 180 m long transect starting from the edge of the canal into the forest was established. 20 peizometers each with 2 meters longwas installed along the established transect. Water table and peat samples were taken weekly beginning at 24 October to 20 December 2000. Peat soils sample were analyzed for soil moisture on oven-dry basis. The results showed that there were a systematical rising and falling of the water table. The maximum and minimum water table recorded were at 22.6 cm above ground and 31.5 cm below ground, respectively. In the forested area, result showed that the water level has a smaller range (16.9 cm) compared to the open area (25.1 cm). Mean peat moisture sample at depths 0 cm (surface), 50 cm and 100 cm were 577%, 891% and 1070% respectively. ANOVA analysis shows that lower depth has significantly higher moisture (at 95% confidence level). The study shows temporal variations of water level in peat swamp forest and also relationship between depth and peat moisture. This relationship can be used as a basis for early warning indicator of peat forest fire. 

Document Type Workshop paper


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