The Response of Water Level Depth to Vegetation Composition in Degraded Peatland: A Case Study of Sriwijaya Wetland Botanical Garden, Indonesia

Abstract

Peatland restoration requires revegetation with attention to different arrangements and planting patterns according to land cover conditions, the peat's thickness, and the water level. The study aims to assess the response of water level depth to vegetation composition in degraded peatland. The study used a prospective observational approach in real environmental situations. In the 3x3 m observation box divided into four quadrants, five monitoring wells were made using a pipe size of 3/4", planted vertically at each corner point of the observation box and its center. The amount of species is counted manually and differentiated by plant growth form (tree or else). At the same time, the composition is measured by the proportion of trees in a particular quadrant. The result showed at least fourteen species identified in the observation box with the majority in the form of an understory plant. The study also found some irregular patterns of the water level changes. The study concluded that the water level is likely to respond to species' roots systems rather than vegetation composition.