The committee reserves the sole right to determine the final list of participants for the field excursion at each site.

Site 1. Acacia crassicarpa Plantation

The Eddy Covariance (EC) measurement in this site represents the one-and-only and very first EC measurement ever established within Acacia crassicarpa plantation on tropical peatland. Acacia crassicarpa (Leguminosae) is a fast-growing, N-fixing tree that is the principal fibre wood plantation species grown on peat soils in Southeast Asia. The typical plantation rotation period between planting of tree seedlings to harvest is 4 – 5 years, and a closed canopy develops in around 12 to 18 months. When measurements began in October 2016, the trees were already at the end of the third plantation rotation.

All plantation compartments within a 2-km radius around the eddy covariance tower were harvested between October 2016 - April 2017. Tree height at harvest was in the range 19 – 24 m, determined from a vegetation survey in permanent sampling plots (20 m × 125 m) around the tower. The plantation density is 1,667 trees per hectare (3 m × 2 m spacing). Five grams of chelated micronutrients per tree were applied around the seedlings during planting.

The ground surface in the plantation area is relatively even, without a hummock-hollow microtopography and with very little understory vegetation. GWLs in the experimental plantation are actively managed by means of an extensive network of topographically defined water management zones, controlled by outlet sluices and supported by GWL monitoring. Water management zones consist of navigable canals, typically of 12 m width and 3 m depth, also used for transport. Branch canals of 5 – 8 m width run perpendicular to these canals at a spacing of 500 – 800 m to form plantation compartments, which contain 1-m-deep field drains at a spacing of 75 m.

Site 2. Eucalyptus Plantation

This site is located in Kampar Regency, about 150 km in the southwest distance of the Pangkalan Kerinci. This site is described as a mosaic of Eucalyptus plantation and riparian forest. Within the Eddy Covariance tower footprint area, the Eucalyptus plantation occupied about 70% of total area and leaving 30% of the rest as riparian forest. The Eucalyptus plantation in this area largely been established in the early 1990’s. The riparian forest is topographically located at the low elevation near to the river bank, serves as the corridor of the biodiversity for both flora and fauna such as elephant. The riparian forest contains a highly diverse forest structure with more than 46 tree genus. The five most dominant tree species are Shorea teysmanniana, Mangifera similis, Calophyllum ferrugineum, Ctenolophon parvifolius, and Syzgium sp. 

The Eddy Covariance tower in this site was established at late of 2019 and has been running for almost six years.  The carbon, water and energy fluxes data from this site are essential to unravel the complexity of ecosystem dynamics on spatially mixed landscape. Besides the Eddy Covariance measurement, we also conduct research on stem CH4 fluxes, soil nitrous oxide, sap velocity and long-term riparian forest growth using combined ground-based inventory data and LiDAR technology.