Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Establishing the evidence base for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem function in the oil palm landscapes of South East Asia

Chung, Arthur Y.C.; Foster, William A.; Snaddon, Jake L.; Turner, Edgar C.; Fayle, Tom M.; Cockerill, Timothy D.; Farnon Ellwood, M. D.; Broad, Gavin R.; Eggleton, Paul; Khen, Chey Vun; Yusah, Kalsum M.

Authors

Arthur Y.C. Chung

William A. Foster

Jake L. Snaddon

Edgar C. Turner

Tom M. Fayle

Timothy D. Cockerill

Farnon Ellwood Farnon.Ellwood@uwe.ac.uk
Associate Professor in Conservation Science

Gavin R. Broad

Paul Eggleton

Chey Vun Khen

Kalsum M. Yusah



Abstract

The conversion of natural forest to oil palm plantation is a major current threat to the conservation of biodiversity in South East Asia. Most animal taxa decrease in both species richness and abundance on conversion of forest to oil palm, and there is usually a severe loss of forest species. The extent of loss varies significantly across both different taxa and different microhabitats within the oil palm habitat. The principal driver of this loss in diversity is probably the biological and physical simplification of the habitat, but there is little direct evidence for this. The conservation of forest species requires the preservation of large reserves of intact forest, but we must not lose sight of the importance of conserving biodiversity and ecosystem processes within the oil palm habitat itself. We urgently need to carry out research that will establish whether maintaining diversity supports economically and ecologically important processes. There is some evidence that both landscape and local complexity can have positive impacts on biodiversity in the oil palm habitat. By intelligent manipulation of habitat complexity, it could be possible to enhance not only the number of species that can live in oil palm plantations but also their contribution to the healthy functioning of this exceptionally important and widespread landscape. © 2011 The Royal Society.

Citation

Chung, A. Y., Foster, W. A., Snaddon, J. L., Turner, E. C., Fayle, T. M., Cockerill, T. D., …Yusah, K. M. (2011). Establishing the evidence base for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem function in the oil palm landscapes of South East Asia. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences, 366(1582), 3277-3291. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2011.0041

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jan 1, 2011
Deposit Date Feb 25, 2013
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Print ISSN 0962-8436
Electronic ISSN 1471-2970
Publisher Royal Society, The
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 366
Issue 1582
Pages 3277-3291
DOI https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2011.0041
Keywords oil palm, Elaeis spp., biodiversity, ecosystem function, ecosystem service, habitat complexity
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/957973
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2011.0041