TROPI presents groundbreaking scientific posters at AGU annual meeting

KUCHING: Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (TROPI) had presented three scientific posters at the recent 2023 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting in San Francisco, United States.

The event which was held from Dec 11 to 15, saw TROPI director Datuk Dr Lulie Melling leading her team of three research officers, namely Dr Ken Wong Guan Xhuan, Yazid Imran Muhammad Faizul and Agusten Rabar Ajok.

Dr Wong presented a groundbreaking scientific poster titled ‘Effect of Land Use Change on Methane Emissions in a Tropical Peatland of Sarawak, Malaysia’.

In this pioneering study, TROPI mentioned precise measurements of methane flux were made over a period of seven years, both before and after the establishment of a plantation on tropical peatland.

“These measurements, made using an eddy covariance tower, provide insight into the environmental consequences of land-use change.

“The findings will contribute significantly to our understanding of greenhouse gas emissions and their long-term impact,” it said in a statement today (Dec 16).

Meanwhile, Yazid presented his scientific poster titled ‘Evaluation of Machine Learning Methods to Model Net Ecosystem Carbon Dioxide Exchange in a Tropical Peat Swamp Forest.’

“In this preliminary work, the data-driven machine learning methods were used to predict carbon emission data collected over seven years in a tropical peat swamp forest,” it said.

TROPI added the aim was to develop a robust model capable of predicting greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands at a larger scale, enabling the extension of observations from individual monitoring sites to entire peatland complexes.

“These results are important for national reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to mitigate climate change as part of the Paris Agreement,” it said.

As for Agusten, his scientific poster titled ‘Long-term hydrological dynamics of the tropical peatlands of Sarawak, Malaysia’, delved into the critical aspect of peat soil moisture where the study compared peat soil moisture data collected over 12 years in an undrained peat forest and an oil palm plantation on peatland.

“The research assessed these results in relation to the bulk density of the soil and the depth of the water table.

“This comprehensive analysis promises insights into improved peat management practices, particularly in relation to the prevention of peat fires and haze,” it said.

The AGU Annual Meeting serves as a platform that brings together a wide range of participants, including researchers, scientists, educators, policy makers, journalists and communicators, all united in their pursuit of a deeper understanding of the planet and the environment, and in their shared efforts to protect its future.

TROPI added its active participation in the meeting emphasises its commitment to advancing research and promoting environmental sustainability.

“This has far-reaching implications for the global community’s understanding of climate change and for achieving our net zero emissions target by 2050,” it said.