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Fire in Borneo Peatlands

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The Wetland Book

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Abstract

Fire frequency has been increasing in recent decades in Southeast Asia, particularly with the expansion of agriculture and wood extraction on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. These peatland fires are causing high emissions of carbon and particulates, as well as long-term changes to forest composition, biomass, and structure. Only a few tree species in this ecosystem have fire adaptations, e.g., tumeh (Combretocarpus rotundatus), so that such species are common on fire-degraded peatlands. The protection of remaining forests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra could be possible as a result of policy initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, rehabilitation of these forests may present opportunities for mitigation. At the same time, there are a number of technological and sociological challenges for the restoration of these forested peatlands. These landscapes are now highly fire-prone, and the livelihoods of local people need attention for these measures to succeed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Leicester, Bennett Building F47, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

    Sue Page

  2. Remote Sensing Centre, Institute of Geodesy and Cartography, Modzelewskiego 27 , 02-679, Warsaw, Poland

    Agata Hoscilo

Authors
  1. Sue Page
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  2. Agata Hoscilo
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Sue Page or Agata Hoscilo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia

    C. Max Finlayson

  2. International Water Security Network, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

    Mark Everard

  3. UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands

    Kenneth Irvine

  4. RM Wetlands and Environment Ltd., Littleworth, Oxfordshire, UK

    Robert J. McInnes

  5. U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA, USA

    Beth A. Middleton

  6. Aquatic Ecosystems Group, Department of Water Science and Engineering, UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands

    Anne A. van Dam

  7. Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia

    Nick C. Davidson

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Page, S., Hoscilo, A. (2018). Fire in Borneo Peatlands. In: Finlayson, C.M., et al. The Wetland Book. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9659-3_11

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