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, Started on 2022 -
Completed on 2025
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Peatlands are ecosystems with layers of partially decomposed remains of dead plants that have
accumulated in waterlogged areas for thousands of years. The services provided by these ecosystems are climate-
critical due to their roles as carbon storage (Beaulne et al., 2021), maintaining healthy hydrology through water
retention (Valois et al., 2020), and supporting biodiversity and wildlife habitats (Glooschenko, 1990; Minayeva and
Sirin, 2012). Due to persistent water saturation, peatlands are characterized by low oxygen levels that slow down the
decomposition of plant material, leading to peat accumulation. They are typically acidic and receive low nutrient
inputs, supporting specialized vegetation like grasses, sedges, shrubs, and other adaptable timber and non-timber
plants. Furthermore, peatlands may also serve as reservoirs of novel biodiversity resources because of their status
as extreme ecosystems.
The microbial diversity of peatlands is shaped by peat content and its associated physicochemical
properties (Myers et al., 2012; Lin et al., 2016). This makes them habitats for extremophilic microbes that exhibit
unique evolutionary adaptations, including the production of novel molecules or compounds with biotechnological
applications. As such, studying these microorganisms is becoming an important venue for developing novel
approaches to address emerging challenges in agriculture, health, and the environment. For instance, bacterial
isolates from peat soil have been shown to exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity (Aw et al., 2016; Mahdiyah
et al., 2020). Peat soil fungi have also been reported to produce new antimicrobial compounds that may help combat
multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, which are now a leading cause of high healthcare costs and mortality rates
worldwide (Dej-Adisai et al., 2021; Nelson et al., 2021). Additionally, bacterial isolates exhibit lignocellulolytic
activities, serving as potential sources of important enzymes with various applications such as in biofuel production,
waste treatment, food processing, and drug development (Chukwuma et al., 2020; Khotimah et al., 2023).
Another microbial group of significant interest in peatlands is the testate amoeba – a polyphyletic group of
unicellular eukaryotes (protists) enclosed in a test (Kosakyan et al., 2016). Their assemblages have been shown to
respond sensitively to dynamic changes in peatland ecosystems (Evans et al., 2024). To conserve peatland
biodiversity and landscape and to promote sustainable management of its natural resources for economic
development, monitoring of ecological health must be conducted and established. Crucial to this is the assessment
of various microbial groups. In particular, bacterial, fungal, and protist communities have shown significant
correlations with peatland drainage and degradation (Elliott et al., 2015; Xue et al., 2021; Evans et al., 2024), making
them important bioindicators of ongoing changes in biodiversity and landscape alterations.
The Leyte Sab-a Basin peatland (LSBP) is located in the Northeast portion of Leyte within the jurisdiction of
four municipalities: Alangalang, Sta. Fe, San Miguel, and Palo. It was deforested and drained in the 1970s and
1980s to aid in the agricultural reform of the Philippine government, which ultimately failed due to poor crop yields.
This led to the extensive degradation of the peatland. Today, its restoration and rehabilitation have become part of
the research agenda of Visayas State University-Alangalang, in partnership with the Department of Environmental
and Natural Resources – Regional Office VIII, International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) and the Forest
Foundation Philippines (FFP) since 2018.