Riparian Forests Event

Palm oil is a highly valuable commodity, used in a wide range of products, but the expansion of oil palm plantations contributes to the loss of tropical forest and declines in biodiversity. Whilst the majority of palm oil is produced in Indonesia and Malaysia, the industry is growing in Africa and the Neotropics; strategies for conserving biodiversity within oil palm plantations are therefore of global importance.

Claudia will be talking about her PhD research on biodiversity conservation within oil palm plantations in Malaysia, focusing on the role of riparian reserves. Riparian forest is often protected because of its beneficial impact on water quality, flood risk and soil erosion. However, the importance of riparian forest buffers for terrestrial biodiversity or other ecosystem services in tropical agricultural landscapes has received very little attention. As a result, there is little ecological evidence available to inform management guidelines for riparian zones. In addition, the methods used to make policy recommendations are highly variable, reducing the ability of the scientific community to provide robust advice.