Large-scale deforestation in the tropics, triggered by logging and subsequent agricultural monoculture has a significant adverse impact on biodiversity due to habitat degradation. Here, we measured the diversity of butterfly species in three agricultural landscapes, agroforestry orchards, oil palm, and rubber tree plantations. Butterfly species were counted at 127 sampling points over the course of a year using the point count method. We found that agroforestry orchards supported a greater number of butterfly species (74 species) compared to rubber tree (61 species) and oil palm plantations (54 species) which were dominated by generalist (73%) followed by forest specialists (27%). We found no significant difference of butterfly species composition between agroforestry orchards and rubber tree plantation, with both habitats associated with more butterfly species compared to oil palm plantations. This indicates butterflies were able to persist better in certain agricultural landscapes. GLMMs suggested that tree height, undergrowth coverage and height, and elevation determined butterfly diversity. Butterfly species richness was also influenced by season and landscape-level variables such as proximity to forest, mean NDVI, and habitat. Understanding the factors that contributed to butterfly species richness in an agroecosystem, stakeholders should consider management practices to improve biodiversity conservation such as ground vegetation management and retaining adjacent forest areas to enhance butterfly species richness. Furthermore, our findings suggest that agroforestry system should be considered to enhance biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.
It is well established that oil palm is one of the most efficient and productive oil crops. However, oil palm agriculture is also one of the threats to tropical biodiversity. This study aims to investigate how set-aside areas in an oil palm plantation affect bird biodiversity. The research area includes two set-asides areas: peat swamp forest and riparian reserves and two oil palm sites adjacent to reserved forest sites. A total of 3,074 birds comprising 100 species from 34 families were observed in an oil palm plantation landscape on peatland located in the northern part of Borneo, Sarawak, Malaysia. Results showed that efforts by set-asides forest areas in large scale of oil palm dominated landscapes supported distinct bird species richness. High percentage of the canopies and shrub covers had a positive effect on bird species richness at area between oil palm and peat swamp forest. Herbaceous cover with height less than 1 m influenced the abundance of birds in the plantation closed to the peat swamp forest. The set-aside areas in oil palm plantations are essential in supporting bird's refuges and should be part of oil palm landscape management to improve biodiversity conservation. Thus, provided the forest set-aside areas are large enough and risks to biodiversity and habitat are successfully managed, oil palm can play an important role in biodiversity conservation.
Ten polymorphic microsatellite markers have been developed for Gonystylus bancanus (Ramin), a protected tree species of peat swamp forests in Malaysia and Indonesia. Eight markers were also shown to be polymorphic in other Gonystylus species. The markers will enable assessing the amount of genetic variation within and among populations and the degree of population differentiation, such that donor populations can be selected for reforestation projects. They may be used for tracing and tracking of wood in the production chain, so that legal trade in this Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora-protected timber species, derived from specifically described origins, can be distinguished from illegally logged timber.