Measurements of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Fire-Prone Peatlands in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, Using Ground-Based Instruments

To reduce the effect of fire-induced peatland disruption on the global carbon balance, monitoring atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in fire-prone peatlands is essential. In this study, we measured the column-averaged atmospheric mixing ratios, XCO2, using a portable instrument in the tropical peatlands of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Combining the measured increments above the background level and the estimated increments from airport visibility records, the raw mean increment, ≤ΔXCO2≥, was 7.8 ppm during the fire season from September to November 2014. Droughts in peatlands lower the groundwater table and induce changes in the microbial communities of the aerobic soil zone to emit CO2 into the atmosphere. During the peat-respiration periods, July-August 2014 and April-May 2015, ≤ΔXCO2≥ was 4.8 ppm. CO2 emission from the ground peat soil was measured using the nocturnal temperature-inversion trap method.