The expansion of oil palm monocultures into globally important Southeast Asian tropical peatlands has caused severe environmental damage. Despite much of the current focus of environmental impacts being directed at industrial scale plantations, over half of oil palm land-use cover in Southeast Asia is from smallholder plantations. We differentiated a first generation smallholder oil palm monoculture into 8 different sampling zones, and further divided the 8 sampling zones into oil palm root influenced (Proximal) and reduced root influence (Distal) areas, to assess how peat properties regulate in situ carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) fluxes. We found that all the physico-chemical properties and nutrient concentrations except sulphur varied significantly among sampling zones. All physico-chemical properties except electrical conductivity, and all nutrient content except nitrogen and potassium varied significantly between Proximal and Distal areas. Mean CO₂ fluxes (ranged between 382 and 1191 mg m⁻² h⁻¹) varied significantly among sampling zones, and between Proximal and Distal areas, with notably high emissions in Dead Wood and Path zones, and consistently higher emissions in Proximal areas compared to Distal areas within almost all the zones. CH₄ fluxes (ranged between −32 and 243 µg m⁻² h⁻¹) did not significantly vary between Proximal and Distal areas, however significantly varied amongst sampling zones. CH₄ flux was notably high in Canal Edge and Understorey Ferns zones, and negative in Dead Wood zone. The results demonstrate the high heterogeneity of peat properties within oil palm monoculture, strengthening the need for intensive sampling to characterize a land use in the tropical peatlands.

中文翻译：

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旱季热带泥炭地油棕单一栽培地表泥炭特性和碳排放的空间变异性

油棕单一栽培向全球重要的东南亚热带泥炭地扩张，造成了严重的环境破坏。尽管目前环境影响的重点主要集中在工业规模的种植园，但东南亚超过一半的油棕土地利用覆盖来自小农种植园。我们将第一代小农油棕单一栽培区分为 8 个不同的采样区，并将 8 个采样区进一步划分为油棕根影响（近端）和减少根影响（远端）区域，以评估泥炭特性如何调节原位二氧化碳。 CO ₂ ) 和甲烷 (CH ₄) 助焊剂。我们发现除硫外的所有理化性质和营养浓度在采样区之间差异很大。除电导率外，所有物理化学性质和除氮和钾外的所有营养成分在近端和远端区域之间都有显着差异。平均 CO ₂通量（范围在 382 和 1191 mg m ^-2  h ^-1之间）在采样区之间以及在近端和远端区域之间变化很大，死木和路径区的排放量明显较高，而近端区域的排放量始终较高到几乎所有区域内的远端区域。CH ₄通量（范围在 -32 和 243 µg m ^-2  h ^-1之间) 在近端和远端区域之间没有显着差异，但在采样区域之间存在显着差异。CH ₄通量在运河边缘和下层蕨类植物区明显较高，而在死木区则为负值。结果表明油棕单一栽培中泥炭特性的高度异质性，加强了对密集采样来表征热带泥炭地土地利用的需求。