Trade-offs between multifunctionality and profit in tropical smallholder landscapes

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 11(1)

Published: March 4, 2020

Abstract Land-use transitions can enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers but potential economic-ecological trade-offs remain poorly understood. Here, we present an interdisciplinary study environmental, social and economic consequences land-use in a tropical landscape on Sumatra, Indonesia. We find widespread biodiversity-profit resulting from forest agroforestry systems to rubber oil palm monocultures, for 26,894 aboveground belowground species whole-ecosystem multidiversity. Despite variation between ecosystem functions, profit gains come at expense multifunctionality, indicating far-reaching deterioration. identify compositions that mitigate under optimal allocation also show intensive monocultures always lead higher profits. These findings suggest that, reduce losses biodiversity functioning, changes incentive structures through well-designed policies are urgently needed.

Language: Английский

---

A review of the ecosystem functions in oil palm plantations, using forests as a reference system

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 92(3), P. 1539 - 1569

Published: Aug. 11, 2016

ABSTRACT Oil palm plantations have expanded rapidly in recent decades. This large‐scale land‐use change has had great ecological, economic, and social impacts on both the areas converted to oil their surroundings. However, research of cultivation is scattered patchy, no clear overview exists. We address this gap through a systematic comprehensive literature review all ecosystem functions plantations, including several (genetic, medicinal ornamental resources, information functions) not included previous reviews. compare those forests, as conversion forest prevalent tropics. find that generally reduced functioning compared forests: 11 out 14 show net decrease level function. Some decreases with potentially irreversible global (e.g. reductions gas climate regulation, habitat nursery functions, genetic functions). The most serious occur when cleared establish new immediately afterwards, especially peat soils. To variable degrees, specific plantation management measures can prevent or reduce losses some avoid illegal land clearing via fire, draining peat, use integrated pest management, cover crops, mulch, compost) we highlight synergistic mitigation improve multiple simultaneously. only function which increases is, unsurprisingly, production marketable goods. Our highlights numerous gaps. In particular, there are significant gaps respect socio‐cultural functions. Further, need for more empirical data importance spatial temporal scales, such differences among different environments, sizes, ages, our identified examples where vary spatially temporally. Finally, needed developing practices offset findings should stimulate gaps, provide foundation discussion ways minimize negative maximize positive cultivation.

Language: Английский

---

Environmental, Economic, and Social Consequences of the Oil Palm Boom

Annual Review of Resource Economics, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 12(1), P. 321 - 344

Published: May 19, 2020

Rising global demand for vegetable oil during the last few decades has led to a drastic increase in land area under palm. Especially Southeast Asia, palm boom contributed economic growth, but it also spurred criticism about negative environmental and social effects. Here, we discuss production consumption trends review environmental, economic, consequences different parts of world. The expansion tropical deforestation associated losses biodiversity ecosystem functions. Simultaneously, increased incomes, generated employment, reduced poverty among farm nonfarm households. Around 50% worldwide is managed by smallholders. Sustainability trade-offs between preserving public goods private benefits need be reduced. We policy implications related productivity rainforest protection, mosaic landscapes, property rights, sustainability certification, smallholder inclusion, others.

Language: Английский

---

Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in dynamic landscapes

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 371(1694), P. 20150267 - 20150267

Published: April 26, 2016

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) its consequence for services has predominantly been studied by controlled, short-term small-scale experiments under standardized environmental conditions constant community compositions. However, changes in occur real-world ecosystems with varying environments a dynamic composition. In this theme issue, we present novel research on BEF such communities. contributions are organized three sections relationships (i) multi-trophic diversity, (ii) non-equilibrium disturbance conditions, (iii) large spatial long temporal scales. first section shows that often appear idiosyncratic, while accounting species traits enables predictive understanding. Future complex communities needs to include ecological theory is based principles of species-averaged body masses, stoichiometry effects as temperature. second illustrates have direct well indirect (via richness, composition species' traits) relationships. Fluctuations (species also trait dominance within species) can severely modify third demonstrates at larger scales driven different variables. While richness per se biomass most important, identity less important than small Across scales, mass extinctions represent severe mixed functions. Together, the issue identify new frontiers answer some open questions landscapes.

Language: Английский

---

Direct and cascading impacts of tropical land-use change on multi-trophic biodiversity

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 1(10), P. 1511 - 1519

Published: Aug. 25, 2017

Language: Английский

---

Oil Palm Adoption, Household Welfare, and Nutrition Among Smallholder Farmers in Indonesia

World Development, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 93, P. 219 - 235

Published: Jan. 19, 2017

Language: Английский

---

Carbon costs and benefits of Indonesian rainforest conversion to plantations

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2018, Volume and Issue: 9(1)

Published: June 13, 2018

Land-use intensification in the tropics plays an important role meeting global demand for agricultural commodities but generates high environmental costs. Here, we synthesize impacts of rainforest conversion to tree plantations increasing management intensity on carbon stocks and dynamics. Rainforests Sumatra converted jungle rubber, oil palm monocultures lost 116 Mg C ha-1, 159 174 respectively. Up 21% these losses originated from belowground pools, where soil organic matter still decreases a decade after conversion. Oil cultivation leads highest it is most efficient land use, providing lowest ratio between ecosystem storage loss or net primary production (NPP) decrease yield. The imbalanced sharing NPP short-term human needs maintenance long-term functions could compromise ability provide services regulating climate, fertility, water, nutrient cycles.

Language: Английский

---

The Ecology of Tropical East Asia

Oxford University Press eBooks, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: June 27, 2019

Abstract Tropical East Asia is home to over 1 billion people and faces massive human impacts from its rising population rapid economic growth. It has already lost more than half of forest cover the highest rates deforestation logging in tropics. Hunting trade wildlife products threaten all large many smaller vertebrates. Despite these problems, region still supports an estimated 15–25 per cent global terrestrial biodiversity thus a key focus for conservation. This book therefore deals with plants, animals, ecosystems they inhabit, as well diverse threats their survival options provides background knowledge region’s ecology needed by both specialists non-specialists put own work into broader context. The first edition was describe entire Asian tropics subtropics, southern China western Indonesia, second extended coverage include very similar Northeast India, Bangladesh, Bhutan. third updates contents gives prominence Anthropocene possible conservation responses. accessible style, comprehensive coverage, engaging illustrations make this advanced textbook essential read senior undergraduate graduate-level students studying tropics, authoritative reference professional ecologists, conservationists, interested amateurs worldwide.

Language: Английский

---

Global patterns of vascular plant alpha diversity

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 13(1)

Published: Sept. 1, 2022

Global patterns of regional (gamma) plant diversity are relatively well known, but whether these hold for local communities, and the dependence on spatial grain, remain controversial. Using data 170,272 georeferenced assemblages, we created global maps alpha (local species richness) vascular plants at three different grains, forests non-forests. We show that is consistently high across grains in some regions (for example, Andean-Amazonian foothills), 'scaling anomalies' (deviations from positive correlation) exist elsewhere, particularly Eurasian temperate with disproportionally higher fine-grained richness many African tropical coarse-grained richness. The influence climatic, topographic biogeographical variables also varies grains. Our multi-grain return a nuanced understanding biodiversity complements classic hotspots will improve predictions change effects biodiversity.

Language: Английский

---

Tree islands enhance biodiversity and functioning in oil palm landscapes

Nature, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 618(7964), P. 316 - 321

Published: May 24, 2023

Abstract In the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 1 , large knowledge gaps persist how to increase biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in cash crop-dominated tropical landscapes 2 . Here, we present findings from a large-scale, 5-year restoration experiment an oil palm landscape enriched with 52 tree islands, encompassing assessments of ten indicators 19 functioning. Overall, functioning, as well multidiversity multifunctionality, were higher islands compared conventionally managed palm. Larger led larger gains through changes vegetation structure. Furthermore, enrichment did not decrease landscape-scale yield. Our results demonstrate that enriching palm-dominated is promising ecological strategy, yet should replace protection remaining forests.

Language: Английский

---