Handbook for ICT Projects for Rural Areas

This handbook identifies guidelines and fundamental requirements that can be of use to project managers and teams who are keen on initiating ICT projects in rural areas. Contents are based on the experiences by the authors when rolling out ICT projects in remote areas within Asia Pacific. The handbook is an accumulation of ideas and experiences from SHARE projects, an initiative driven by Telecommunication Technology Committee Japan (TTC) Japan, in which four countries, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, have rolled out various technology-based projects in remote and rural locations. The book describes a narrative of guidelines, which are organised according to phases of development for a technology-enabled solution. The writing of the handbook takes into account the unique considerations for accommodating to local needs and competencies in remote and rural communities

Influence of disturbances and environmental changes on albedo in tropical peat ecosystems

Tropical peat swamp forests have been experiencing drastic disturbances, such as deforestation, drainage, and fire. We examined how such disturbances influence albedo, which regulates radiative energy exchange between the terrestrial surface and the atmosphere. We conducted continuous field observations at three sites: undrained forest (UF), drained forest (DF), and drained burned ex-forest (DB), in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, for over 13 years. Observed albedo was strongly influenced by haze caused by fire because the haze layer covering the canopy has a relatively high reflectance. Under severe haze conditions in October 2015, apparent albedo increased to 0.156, 0.162, and 0.183 at the UF, DF, and DB sites respectively. Mean monthly albedos excluding fire periods were 0.094 +/- 0.005, 0.092 +/- 0.006, and 0.099 +/- 0.017 (mean +/- 1 standard deviation) at the UF, DF, and DB sites respectively. Seasonal fluctuation in albedo at the DB site, where ferns were dominant, was greater than at the UF and DF sites. Albedo at the DF site was significantly lower than that at the UF site from February to August (p < 0.05). At the forest sites the albedo increased as groundwater level decreased. Albedo was higher under high vapor pressure deficit at all sites. At the DB site albedo decreased when the soil surface was water-saturated and patched with puddles, potentially due to the low albedo of open water. The albedo at the DB site was lower than that at the forest sites at the beginning of the observation period. Subsequently, the albedo increased and exceeded those at the UF and DF sites immediately after fire damage in 2009. This could be explained by the expansion of bright-colored ferns and sedges over dark-colored peat soil. According to our results, haze, groundwater level, and vegetation cover significantly influence albedo in tropical peat swamp forests

Assessing the carbon dioxide balance of a degraded tropical peat swamp forest following multiple fire events of different intensities

Tropical peat swamp forest is a unique ecosystem rich in carbon and water, accumulating a huge amount of carbon as peat. However, the huge carbon pool has been threatened by oxidative peat decomposition and fire loss mainly because of deforestation and drainage. Fire causes acute carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through the combustion of biomass and peat. Also, fire should change the CO2 balance of postfire ecosystems. Although it is crucial to quantify CO2 balance even after a fire event to understand the total fire impact, information based on field measurement is lacking. Thus, we had measured eddy CO2 flux above a repeatedly burned degraded peat forest for about 13 years since 2004. The site was a stable CO2 source of 147 290 g C m(-2) yr(-1) for five years after a stand-replacing fire in 2002. Unexpectedly, a moderate-severity fire in 2009 changed the site to a CO2 sink of about 600 g C m(-2) yr(-1). The drastic change would have been caused by a large decrease in the decomposition of plant debris, which had accumulated since the 2002 fire but was burned by the 2009 fire. In contrast, gross primary production (GPP) remained about the same even though vegetation was damaged, mainly because year-round wet conditions caused by a La Nina event promoted the regrowth of hygrophilous herbaceous plants and were favorable to their GPP. The site also had a low-severity fire and was drained in 2014 but did not return to a CO2 source. However, the net ecosystem CO2 uptake after the 2009 fire was insufficient to recover a large amount of fire CO2 emission. If CO2 emissions from four fires in 1999, 2002, 2009 and 2014 are counted, the site is expected to owe an outstanding CO2 debt of 25 kg C m(-2)

Tree species that 'live slow, die older' enhance tropical peat swamp restoration : Evidence from a systematic review

Degraded tropical peatlands lack tree cover and are often subject to seasonal flooding and repeated burning. These harsh environments for tree seedlings to survive and grow are therefore challenging to revegetate. Knowledge on species performance from previous plantings represents an important evidence base to help guide future tropical peat swamp forest (TPSF) restoration efforts. We conducted a systematic review of the survival and growth of tree species planted in degraded peatlands across Southeast Asia to examine (1) species differences, (2) the impact of seedling and site treatments on survival and growth and (3) the potential use of plant functional traits to predict seedling survival and growth rates. Planted seedling monitoring data were compiled through a systematic review of journal articles, conference proceedings, reports, theses and unpublished datasets. In total, 94 study-sites were included, spanning three decades from 1988 to 2019, and including 141 indigenous peatland tree and palm species. Accounting for variable planting numbers and monitoring durations, we analysed three measures of survival and growth: (1) final survival weighted by the number of seedlings planted, (2) half-life, that is, duration until 50% mortality and (3) relative growth rates (RGR) corrected for initial planting height of seedlings. Average final survival was 62% and half-life was 33 months across all species, sites and treatments. Species differed significantly in survival and half-life. Seedling and site treatments had small effects with the strongest being higher survival of mycorrhizal fungi inoculated seedlings; lower survival, half-life and RGR when shading seedlings; and lower RGR and higher survival when fertilising seedlings. Leaf nutrient and wood density traits predicted TPSF species survival, but not half-life and RGR. RGR and half-life were negatively correlated, meaning that slower growing species survived for longer. Synthesis and applications. To advance tropical peat swamp reforestation requires expanding the number and replication of species planted and testing treatments by adopting control vs. treatment experimental designs. Species selection should involve slower growing species (e.g. Lophopetalum rigidum, Alstonia spatulata, Madhuca motleyana) that survive for longer and explore screening species based on functional traits associated with nutrient acquisition, flooding tolerance and recovery from fire.Peer reviewe

Tree species that 'live slow, die older' enhance tropical peat swamp restoration : Evidence from a systematic review

Degraded tropical peatlands lack tree cover and are often subject to seasonal flooding and repeated burning. These harsh environments for tree seedlings to survive and grow are therefore challenging to revegetate. Knowledge on species performance from previous plantings represents an important evidence base to help guide future tropical peat swamp forest (TPSF) restoration efforts. We conducted a systematic review of the survival and growth of tree species planted in degraded peatlands across Southeast Asia to examine (1) species differences, (2) the impact of seedling and site treatments on survival and growth and (3) the potential use of plant functional traits to predict seedling survival and growth rates. Planted seedling monitoring data were compiled through a systematic review of journal articles, conference proceedings, reports, theses and unpublished datasets. In total, 94 study-sites were included, spanning three decades from 1988 to 2019, and including 141 indigenous peatland tree and palm species. Accounting for variable planting numbers and monitoring durations, we analysed three measures of survival and growth: (1) final survival weighted by the number of seedlings planted, (2) half-life, that is, duration until 50% mortality and (3) relative growth rates (RGR) corrected for initial planting height of seedlings. Average final survival was 62% and half-life was 33 months across all species, sites and treatments. Species differed significantly in survival and half-life. Seedling and site treatments had small effects with the strongest being higher survival of mycorrhizal fungi inoculated seedlings; lower survival, half-life and RGR when shading seedlings; and lower RGR and higher survival when fertilising seedlings. Leaf nutrient and wood density traits predicted TPSF species survival, but not half-life and RGR. RGR and half-life were negatively correlated, meaning that slower growing species survived for longer. Synthesis and applications. To advance tropical peat swamp reforestation requires expanding the number and replication of species planted and testing treatments by adopting control vs. treatment experimental designs. Species selection should involve slower growing species (e.g. Lophopetalum rigidum, Alstonia spatulata, Madhuca motleyana) that survive for longer and explore screening species based on functional traits associated with nutrient acquisition, flooding tolerance and recovery from fire.Peer reviewe

Impacts of fire and prospects for recovery in a tropical peat forest ecosystem

Uncontrolled fires place considerable burdens on forest ecosystems, compromising our ability to meet conservation and restoration goals. A poor understanding of the impacts of fire on ecosystems and their biodiversity exacerbates this challenge, particularly in tropical regions where few studies have applied consistent analytical techniques to examine a broad range of ecological impacts over multiyear time frames. We compiled 16 y of data on ecosystem properties (17 variables) and biodiversity (21 variables) from a tropical peatland in Indonesia to assess fire impacts and infer the potential for recovery. Burned forest experienced altered structural and microclimatic conditions, resulting in a proliferation of nonforest vegetation and erosion of forest ecosystem properties and biodiversity. Compared to unburned forest, habitat structure, tree density, and canopy cover deteriorated by 58 to 98%, while declines in species diversity and abundance were most pronounced for trees, damselflies, and butterflies, particularly for forest specialist species. Tracking ecosystem property and biodiversity datasets over time revealed most to be sensitive to recurrent high-intensity fires within the wider landscape. These megafires immediately compromised water quality and tree reproductive phenology, crashing commercially valuable fish populations within 3 mo and driving a gradual decline in threatened vertebrates over 9 mo. Burned forest remained structurally compromised long after a burn event, but vegetation showed some signs of recovery over a 12-y period. Our findings demonstrate that, if left uncontrolled, fire may be a pervasive threat to the ecological functioning of tropical forests, underscoring the importance of fire prevention and long-term restoration efforts, as exemplified in Indonesia