Fungal diversity and its functions in tropical peatlands as plant growth promoting microorganism or associated with green house emission

Peat land deterioration is global issue. Exploitation of peatland ecosystem, especially extreme drainage has caused severe environmental problem. Among other destruction of fresh water stock, emission of greenhouse gas in the form of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The objective study was to assess the influence of land use type on fungal diversity and its activity which indirectly contribute plant growth promotion or associated with greenhouse emission from peatland in Central Kalimantan. Four land use types: Nearly-pristine peat swamp forest (n-PSF), Un-drained deforested peatlands (UDP), Drained deforested peatlands (DDP), and Degraded peatlands under agriculture (DPA) were evaluated representing the disturb and less disturb peatland ecosystem. The hydrolytic enzymes assessment, particularly those linking to polymeric substances mineralization, was conducted to estimate microbial activities which contribute to greenhouse gas emission. The result indicates that fungal diversity and its activities of less disturb peatland was quite distinctive from exploited areas, which implies that higher greenhouse gas emission in exploited areas. It is recommended that exploitation of peatland ecosystem should consider water regimes through managing oxic and anaerobic environment to limit greenhouse gas emission. The presence of IAA, phosphatase producing fungi could be important for genetic resources for the growth promotion in peatland ecosystem. (paper)