Sains Malaysiana 43(12)(2014): 1843–1853

Drivers of Soil Carbon Dioxide Efflux in a 70 years Mixed Trees Species of Tropical Lowland Forest, Peninsular Malaysia

(Pemacu kepada Karbon Dioksida Efluks Tanah dalam Masa 70 Tahun Kepelbagaian

Spesies Pokok di Hutan Tropika Tanah Rendah, Semenanjung Malaysia)

K.H. MANDE¹, A.M. ABDULLAH²*, A.A. ZAHARIN³, & A.N. AINUDDIN⁴

¹Air Pollution & Ecophysiology Laboratory, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

³Environmental Forensics Research Centre, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

⁴Institute of Tropical Forest and Forest Product, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 27 November 2013/Accepted: 22 April 2014

ABSTRACT

Forest biomass is a major component in carbon sequestration and a driver of heterotrophy and autotrophy soil CO₂ efflux, as it accumulation increases carbon organic nutrients, root growth and microbial activity. Understanding forest biomass rational to ascertain the forest ecosystems productivity is important. A study has been conducted in a 70-years-old forest of mixed tree species, Sungai Menyala Forest, Port Dickson, Peninsular Malaysia, measuring the total above ground biomass (TAGB), below ground biomass (BGB), total forest carbon (SOCs), soil organic carbon stock (SOCstoc) and soil CO₂ efflux from 1 February to 30 June 2013. The aim was to determine the effect of forest biomass, litter fall and influence of environmental factors on soil CO₂ efflux. Multiple regression analysis has been conducted on the relationship between the variables and the soil CO₂ efflux. Soil CO₂ efflux was found to range from 92.09-619.67 mg m^-2 h^-1, with the amount of the tropical forest biomass estimated at 1.9×10⁶, 7.7×10⁶ and 9.2×10⁵ kg for TAGB, BGB and SOCs, respectively. The analysis showed a strong correlation between soil CO₂ efflux and soil temperature, soil moisture, water potential and forest carbon input with R² more than 0.89 at p<0.01. The findings showed a strong contribution from forest biomass as drivers of heterotrophy and autotrophy soil CO₂ efflux. We can conclude that the forest biomass and environmental factors are responsible for the remarkable variation in soil CO₂ efflux, as climate change can cause increase in temperature as well as deforestation decreases forest biomass.

Keywords: Autotrophy; carbon input; forest biomass; heterotrophy; microbial activities; soil CO₂ efflux

ABSTRAK

Biojisim hutan adalah komponen utama dalam perampasan karbon dan pemacu kepada CO₂ efluks tanah secara heterotrofi dan autotrofi dengan meningkatnya penghimpunan nutrien karbon organik, pertumbuhan akar dan aktiviti microbiologi. Pemahaman biojisim hutan yang rasional kepada penentuan produktiviti ekosistem hutan adalah penting. Satu kajian telah dijalankan di dalam hutan yang berusia 70 tahun dengan kepelbagaian spesies pokok, di Hutan Sungai Menyala, Port Dickson, Semenanjung Malaysia, dengan pengukuran jumlah biojisim di atas tanah (TAGB), biojisim di bawah tanah (BGB), jumlah karbon hutan (SOCs), stok karbon organik tanah (SOCstoc) dan juga CO₂ efluks tanah dari 1 Februari hingga 30 Jun 2013. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan kesan biojisim hutan, gugurnya kekotoran serta pengaruh faktor alam sekitar terhadap CO₂ efluks tanah. Analisis pengunduran gandaan telah dijalankan dalam penentuan hubungan antara pemboleh ubah dengan CO₂ efluks tanah. CO₂ efluks tanah didapati berada dalam julat 92.09-619.67 mg m^-2 h^-1, dengan jumlah biojisim hutan tropika dianggarkan pada 1.9×10⁶ kg, 7.7×10⁶ kg, 9.2×10⁵ kg masing-masing bagi TAGB, BGB dan SOCs. Analisis menunjukkan perhubungan yang kuat antara CO₂ efluks terhadap suhu tanah, kelembapan tanah, keupayaan air dan input karbon hutan dengan nilai R² melebihi 0.89 pada nilai p<0.01. Penemuan ini menunjukkan sumbangan yang kuat daripada biojisim hutan sebagai pemacu heterotrofi dan autotrofi CO₂ efluks tanah. Disimpulkan bahawa biojisim hutan dan faktor-faktor alam sekitar bertanggungjawab terhadap kepelbagaian yang menakjubkan dalam CO₂ efluks tanah, dengan perubahan iklim boleh menyebabkan pertambahan suhu begitu juga menurunnya biojisim hutan melalui penyahhutanan.

Kata kunci: Aktiviti mikrobial; autotrofi; biojisim hutan; CO₂ efluks tanah; input karbon; heterotrofi

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*Corresponding author; email: amakmom@upm.edu.my