Abstract
Chemical properties of tropical peat soils and soil solutions under sago palm plantation in Sarawak, Malaysia were discussed. Strong acidic soil reactions and high contents of organic matter were observed in most of soil samples. Chemical properties were obviously different between deep peat soils (DPS) and a shallow peat soil (SPS). Chemical properties in DPS changed with depth. Electric conductivity, ash contents and total nitrogen contents tended to decrease with increasing soil depth, whereas humification degree of peat soils tended to increase with increasing soil depth. Bulk density of surface layer was about 0.1 Mg m-3 except for SPS and shrinkage of peat soil causing land subsidence have not occurred by land reclamation for sago plantation.
Dissolved organic carbon, electric conductivity and acidity in soil solutions decreased with increasing soil depth. There was a significant positive relationship between dissolved organic carbon and acidity. Principal components of acidity might originate from various organic acids. Proportions of cations in soil solutions to those in soils were different due to their positive valences. Higher proportions of monovalent cations were in soil solutions compared to divalent cations. Fe content in soil solution was very low and high proportion of Fe was organic bound form.
Physico-chemical properties of soils and soil solutions clearly represented the process of peat accumulation and soil formation condition. There was not clear relationship in deep peat soils between sago growth and chemical properties in soils and soil solutions.
https://ror.org/05jk51a88 
