What Are The Controls on Aqueous N Export From Human-modified Tropical Peatlands?

"Palm oil plantations in Malaysian Borneo are experiencing large but unquantified losses of aqueous Nitrogen (N) from leeching of N rich fertilisers. Leeching occurs due to poorly understood site hydrology and water catchments, leading to uninformed blanket use of fertilisers. This N pollution affects fluvial ecosystems, endangering niche fish species which support the local community.

The aim of this project is to use experimental findings to create a strategy to conserve water and N by making agricultural changes across a 10,000 hectare oil palm plantation site in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. This will be achieved by modelling the hydrology and quantifying the aqueous nitrogen flux, thereby understanding controls on N flux at the site. Hydrology can be modelled using existing data, such as contour maps, climate data, and water table measurements, and field based measurements such as the hydraulic conductivity of the soil.

The model can be used to understanding the uneven patterns of N leeching and how they relate to the catchment paths. This in turn can be used to inform plantation managers to modify and tailor the application of fertilizer to different areas of the plantation to avoid over fertilization and excessive N pollution.

As a secondary aim, the model can be used to predict water availability for the oil palms and allow changes in site drainage to be implemented which could decrease carbon emissions from the damaged peatland upon which the plantation is established by reducing moisture stress at the site.