Central Kalimantan, Borneo Indonesia - Palangkaraya, Sabangau Forest & Nyaru Menteng

The Sabangau Forest is in southern Borneo, near Palangka Raya, in the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan. Centered on the blackwater Sabangau River, it is bounded by the Katingan River to the west, Kahayan River to the east, Java Sea to the south and the main Palangka Raya-Sampit road to the north. The ecosystem covers an area of approximately 9,000 km2 of tropical peatland and most (6,300 km2) remains forested. Sabangau forms part of a great swathe of tropical peatlands that cover almost the entire lowland river plains of southern Borneo. It is the largest area of lowland rainforest remaining in Borneo.

The main habitat of the area is tropical peat-swamp forest. This is often decribed as a "dual ecosystem", with a diverse tropical forest ecosystem standing atop a thick peat layer. Peat is formed in heavily-waterlogged, acidic consitions, which prevents the complete breakdown of plant material. It is thus the partially-decayed remains of fallen leaves, branches and trees. The peat layer in Sabangau has formed slowly over 20,000 years and is up to 15 m deep in places. Being made almost completely of plant matter, peat is a major store of carbon. When drained, it begins to break down and oxidise, and becomes very susceptible to fire, releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere: the current total peatland CO2 emissions in South-east Asia are estimated to be equal to almost 8% of global emissions from fossil fuel combustion, from just 0.1% of the global land area. When CO2 emissions from degraded peatlands are included, Indonesia is the world's third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the USA and China (it is 21st excluding peat emissions).  Preserving tropical peatlands in their natural state is therefore one of the most effective ways of limiting global warming. Logging, peat drainage and fire all disturb the ecosystem's natural balance and, unfortunately, these all occur when peat-swamp forests are converted to oil palm plantation and other forms of agriculture.