Notes:

• The field excursion can accommodate up to 70 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. 

• The committee will inform interested participants of their assigned excursion by 10 September 2025. 

• For more information, please contact info@asiaflux2025.com.

Site 1. Intact Peat Swamp Forest 

Tropical peatland in Indonesia covers an area of 13.4 Mha and Riau constitutes of 3.6 Mha. Currently, less than 20% of tropical peat swamp forest remains intact in Riau. About 120,000 Ha of intact peat swamp forest is located on one of the biggest peat landscape of Kampar Peninsula, and managed as a conservation area by the Restoration Ecosystem of Riau. Peatland in here has been largely formed around 5,000 years ago. The base of the peatland is grey marine clays, over which peat varies from approximately 3 m deep near the river boundaries to over 11 m in the center of the approximately 60-km-wide and more than 100-km-long peat dome, with an average depth of 8 m. Based on our estimations, this ecosystem holds a massive carbon stock, both above- and below-ground. The estimated above-ground carbon stock was 61 tC ha⁻¹, and the below-ground carbon stock was 4,274 tC ha⁻¹, making this ecosystem one of the world's largest carbon sinks.

The Eddy Covariance tower in this site was established in 2017. Since then, the Eddy Covariance tower has measured a significant data on carbon, water, and energy fluxes which is highly important to understand the current role of intact peat swamp forest. Besides the Eddy Covariance measurement, we are also conducting several measurements including long-term monitoring of groundwater level and peat subsidence, peat oxidative decomposition, soil nitrous oxide, and stem CH4 fluxes measurement. Finally, this ecosystem provides significant ecosystem services to the region, serving as a biodiversity sanctuary, nature-based climate solution, and providing social and economic support for approximately 50,000 people living in the surrounding area.

Site 2. Eucalypus 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.