Biodiversity and Conservation of Tropical Peat Swamp Forests

Tropical peat swamp forest is a unique ecosystem that is most extensive in Southeast Asia, where it is under enormous threat from logging, fire, and land conversion. Recent research has shown this ecosystem's significance as a global carbon store, but its value for biodiversity remains poorly u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioscience 2011-01, Vol.61 (1), p.49-57
Main Authors: Posa, Mary Rose C, Wijedasa, Lahiru S, Corlett, Richard T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity
Biogeography
Biological diversity
blackwater
Carbon
Company business management
Conservation (Concept)
Ecology
Forest conservation
Forest ecosystems
Forest fires
Forest habitats
Forests
Freshwater
Freshwater fish
Habitat conservation
Land Use
Logging
Management
Organic Chemistry
OVERVIEW ARTICLES
Peat
Peatlands
Protected areas
Protection and preservation
Rain
Rainforests
Southeast Asia
Species
Swamps
threatened
Topography
Tropical forests
Tropical rain forests
Water
wetland
Wetlands
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Summary:Tropical peat swamp forest is a unique ecosystem that is most extensive in Southeast Asia, where it is under enormous threat from logging, fire, and land conversion. Recent research has shown this ecosystem's significance as a global carbon store, but its value for biodiversity remains poorly understood. We review the current status and biological knowledge of tropical peat swamp forests, as well as the impacts of human disturbances. We demonstrate that these forests have distinct floral compositions, provide habitat for a considerable proportion of the region's fauna, and are important for the conservation of threatened taxa, particularly specialized freshwater fishes. However, we estimate that only 36% of the historical peat swamp forest area remains, with only 9% currently in designated protected areas. Given that peat swamp forests are more vulnerable to synergies between human disturbances than other forest ecosystems, their protection and restoration are conservation priorities that require urgent action.
ISSN:0006-3568
1525-3244
DOI:10.1525/bio.2011.61.1.10