Arif Habibal Umam, Hermann Behling
The Tripa Peat Swamp Forest (TPSF) within the Leuser Ecosystem is a representation of a biodiversity hotspot, providing critical habitat for endangered mammals and containing significant carbon stocks in northern Sumatra. The ecosystem has been fragmented by agricultural land-use conversion, primarily for oil palm plantations, contributing to environmental crises including forest fires and haze pollution. The TPSF is located in a coastal zone adjacent to an ancient volcano and subject to human activity since the 17th century, as indicated by the local archaeological site of the Seuneuam Kingdom. Vegetation and environmental dynamics of the TPSF in the Holocene period remain poorly understood, thereby forming the objective of this study. Pollen, spores, non-pollen palynomorphs, micro-charcoal, macro-charcoal, and total organic carbon (TOC) content were analysed from a 2.5 m-long peat core. Radiocarbon dating of seven samples was used to establish the core chronology. Two main time periods were distinguished in the chronology, specifically the first period from 2500 to 1600 cal yr BP was marked by grass marshes as well as a mix of dipterocarp and swamp vegetation, followed by Pandanus-dominated peat swamp vegetation. The second period after 1600 cal yr BP represented a more stable plant community comprising the families Dipterocarpaceae, Fagaceae, Anacardiaceae, and Myrtaceae (lowland dipterocarp mixed swamp rainforest). Vegetation and ecosystem dynamics of the TPSF were influenced by natural disturbances in the first period and anthropogenic activity during the second. © 2026 The Authors
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Germany; Universitas Syiah Kuala, Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, Banda Aceh, Indonesia; Universitas Syiah Kuala, Research Centre for Climate Change, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
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