Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture Programme - Case Study
Overview
Agriculture has expanded rapidly in the tropics, often at the expense of natural forests. Among the regions experiencing the greatest habitat change is Southeast Asia, where oil palm plantations have expanded dramatically since the 1980s.
Oil palm produces far higher quantities of vegetable oil per area than other vegetable oil crops, and its perennial nature means that plantations can develop significant structural complexity during their lifespan. It therefore represents a promising model system for investigating how tropical perennial crops can be grown more sustainably.
The Research
In Riau, Indonesia, the Insect Ecology team established two pioneering long-term restoration experiments within commercial oil palm plantations. These projects test practical approaches for restoring forest and biodiversity in oil palm agricultural landscapes.
Key Findings
The research has already delivered measurable results:
- Reduced herbicide spraying results in higher understory vegetation complexity and boosted biodiversity across a range of groups in oil palm.
- Active restoration of river margins through replanting native tree species improves canopy cover and creates cooler, more stable microclimates compared with passive restoration approaches.
The findings are helping shape more sustainable practices across the 29 million hectares of oil palm plantations globally. This work demonstrates how collaboration between conservation scientists and industry can restore ecosystems, protect biodiversity, and create scalable models for sustainable tropical agriculture.
Research Impact
"Our project demonstrates the value and power of a large-scale experiment and collaboration between researchers and industry, as well as the diversity of ways in which management within perennial systems can be altered to benefit species within these systems."
— Professor Ed Turner, CRI Academic & Professor of Insect Ecology, Department of Zoology