Tropical Peat Soils Under Different Land Uses
Rapid human population growth in Southeast Asia has led to increasing drainage of natural peatland ecosystems for conversion to agricultural use. Peatland drainage lowers the water table, thereby increasing the thickness of the peat layer that is exposed to oxidation. Drying leads to shrinkage of organic materials, resulting in compression of peat layers. The combination of oxidation, shrinkage and compaction causes subsidence of the soil surface.