Biodiversity
UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA (UPM)
Guidelines for Biodiversity Friendly Plantations (UPM)
BRIEF PROJECT
The project was initiated by MPOGCF to address issues regarding compliance of oil palm plantations with regards to biodiversity and conservation. The main thrust of the whole project was to provide a simple but impactful guideline that would help stakeholders to deal with issues of human-wildlife conflicts, specifically in oil palm plantation. UPM’s role in this project is to provide an academically sound science based orientation in the whole verification and write up processes, collation of data and composition of the final publication. The project gathers input from planters, plantations,leaders of the industry, scientific researchers and policy makers towards understanding, digesting and providing solutions to the pertaining issues regarding human-wildlife conflict.
PROGRESS AND PERIOD DATE
Next workshop will be held on November 2024 at Taman Negara. The duration of this project is one year, April 2024 to April 2025.
UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA (UKM)
Oil Palm Plantation Landscape As Wildlife Refuge: A Way Forward For Wildlife-Friendly Plantations (UKM)
BRIEF PROJECT
This project focuses on the evaluation of landscape factors controlling for the diversity of wildlife (amphibians, reptiles, birds, small to medium-sized mammals, as well as large mammals). Apart from that, the human-animal conflict reports are gathered to distinguish factors contributing to the frequency of the conflicts. Four oil palm plantations with varying degrees of landscape feature were chosen for survey and evaluation (sampling for each landscape was replicated at least 3 to 4 sites either within the same or different plantation complex). Multivariate analysis of contributing variables are performed to distinguish the most important factors controlling for the best plantation practice with regards to the high diversity of wildlife, and lowest incidence of human-wildlife conflicts. This information will be an important baseline data to design a sustainable and wildlife-friendly plantation.
PROGRESS AND PERIOD DATE
Laboratory works (wildlife disease, DNA metagenomic, parasitology) are currently on-going. The duration of this project is three years, from December 2022 to December 2025.
UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK (UNIMAS)
Managing Biodiversity of Conservation Concern In Oil Palm Areas In Sarawak (UNIMAS)
BRIEF PROJECT
The aim of the current project, which is focused on terrestrial biodiversity, is to enhance our understanding of the ecology of selected species of fauna that inhabit forested fragments within oil palm plantation areas, and factors that possibly sustain and influence their distribution. Fieldwork will be conducted at selected locations in the HCV areas and in the oil palm plantations in Sarawak. The major outcome of this project will be new knowledge on the ecology of the fauna of the study sites.
PROGRESS AND PERIOD DATE
Field samplings are currently on-going. The period for this project is 3 years, starting from Mac 2023 to Mac 2026.
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA (UiTM)
Biodiversity Value of Epiphytes and Understory Vegetation on Macroinvertebrates Diversity and Vertebrates
BRIEF PROJECT
The diversity of vegetation and animals in oil palm plantations has been poorly studied, and there has been little information on the ecological roles of them in the plantation. Three objectives are proposed in this study, which will be carried out in the Selangor and Negeri Sembilan region: (1) to identify all types of epiphytes exist in oil palm plantation, (2) to record the extent to which the vegetation supports and enhances animal diversity in oil palm plantations and (3) to compare the management practices on epiphytes between small holder and big company and between the plantation adjacent to the forest and not. Epiphytes will be sampled and identified until species level with their roles either beneficial or harmful. The results will contribute to our understanding that habitat complexity in the oil palm plantation is able to sustain high diversity of animals thus rejecting the negative perceptions that the palm oil industry threatens biodiversity. Constructive suggestions for the mitigation of biodiversity loss and perhaps creating new management practices that are low cost and environmentally friendly aligned with SDG Goal 15 will be proposed.
PROGRESS AND PERIOD DATE
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has been sent to the panel of lawyer Choo De Wei for amendments. This project will take two years (Januari 2025 – December 2026).
UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA (UPM)
Napier Grass Cultivation As One Of The Wildlife Corridor Strategies in Enhancing Food Sustainability and Biodiversity Conservation For Elephant (UPM & Sabah Softwoods Berhad)
BRIEF PROJECT
This pilot project will study the effectiveness of Napier grass as habitat enrichment focusing on the established wildlife corridor in Sabah Softwood Bhd area, which connects the isolated Ulu Kalumpang Forest Reserve (Southeast) and Ulu Segama Forest Reserve (North). This corridor will allow for the movement of wildlife such as Bornean elephants and others.
PROGRESS AND PERIOD DATE
The project is on-going according to the schedule. The duration of this project is 2 years, starting from 2024.
UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SABAH (UNIMAS)
Modelling the impact of nocturnal wildlife on oil palm production. A framework for optimising oil palm production in line with sustainability. (Univ Malaysia Sabah)
BRIEF PROJECT
This study aims to provide primary data that will be useful for managing biodiversity resources in oil palm plantations while maintaining an optimum oil palm yield. This will be conducted using a multi species modelling approach of Sabah’s endangered nocturnal animals within oil palm landscapes and their respective or collective impact on yield.
PROGRESS AND PERIOD DATE
Project will commence in 2025, and the duration of the project is 3 years.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE
Biodiversity Data Collection in Oil Palm Plantation Adjacent to Binsuluk and Padas Damit Forest Reserve in Beaufort Sabah (Global Environment Centre)
BRIEF PROJECT
This project is to be conducted by The Global Environment Centre (GEC) as part of a degraded forest restoration program in Binsulok Forest Reserve. The biodiversity data collected will be used as a future reference in wildlife conservation management for this area.
PROGRESS AND PERIOD DATE
The project will commence tentatively by Nov 2024.
IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
Reconciling Oil Palm Production and Biodiversity (Imperial College London)
BRIEF PROJECT
This project will study the density of terrestrial mammals, primates, and birds in and around oil palm plantations in Sabah and relate these density estimates to plantation yields. Using acoustic data, the project will estimate bird species richness and analyze differences in acoustic activity across oil palm plantations, assessing the impact of plantations on bird activity patterns. The research will focus on the borders between natural areas and plantations, with support from NGOs like WildAsia and Project SAFE to gain access to the plantations.
Project Objectives:
- Assess the impact of different palm oil production methods (e.g., agrochemical use, undergrowth vegetation, and polyculture farming) on yields, as well as on mammal and bird diversity in smallholder and industrial plantations.
- Examine the relationship between biodiversity and plantation yields to determine whether land-sharing or land-sparing is a more effective strategy for balancing palm oil production and biodiversity conservation.
- Develop management recommendations for producers to enhance biodiversity and plantation yields.
PROGRESS AND PERIOD DATE
The memo has been sent to the management and is currently in the process of requesting project budget approval till 30th October 2024.
