Establishing the relative importance of a rainforest microcosm in oil palm plantations

确定雨林微观世界在油棕榈种植园中的相对重要性

• 批准号: 2881513
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Bangor University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2881513
• 关键词: Establishing; relative; importance; rainforest; microcosm

Palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on Earth and the expansion of oil palm (Elaies guineensis) plantations is a major contributor to the loss of terrestrial biodiversity1. Efforts to improve the sustainability of palm oil production include engagement with Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)certification schemes2-3 . Ecological approaches that restore ecosystem function to oil palm plantationswhilst simultaneously enhancing oil palm health and productivity meet the objectives of the RSPO as well as palm oil producers1-3. The world's largest epiphytic ferns (Asplenium nidus; bird's nest ferns) are hotspots of biodiversity in rainforest canopies4-7 and a unique feature of the original rainforest habitat able to thrive in oil palm plantations1. Adapted to withstand extremes in climate and nutrient availability, the ferns can reach higher abundances in oil palm plantations than in rainforest habitats8. Research on the biodiversity and ecosystem function of the bird's nest fern mesocosm4-10 has revealed that its suspendedsoils include enough invertebrates to double the estimate of the invertebrate biomass of an entire rainforest canopy4. Here, we propose to examine the influence of A. nidus leachate on soil biodiversity and biogeochemical processes immediately below the epiphyte, and assess the effect on palm productivity, to determine whether the introduction of A. nidus into oil palm plantations could restore ecosystem functionthroughout millions of hectares of degraded oil palm landscapes. Such is the urgency of increasing oil palm sustainability, that if we show improved ecosystem functionality, the RSPO will stipulate the introduction of A. nidus into plantations, and thus we will influence government policies and management practices around the world. Our aims are to: (1) assess the biogeochemistry of A. nidus suspended soils, leachate,and ground soil; and (2) determine if ground soil nutrient cycling and biodiversity is improved, therebyenhancing ecosystem functionality in plantations.

棕榈油是地球上消耗量最广的植物油，油棕（Elaies Guineensis）种植园的膨胀是陆地生物多样性丧失的主要贡献者1。提高棕榈油生产的可持续性的努力包括与可持续棕榈油（RSPO）认证方案进行圆桌会议2-3。通过同时提高油棕健康和生产力的生态系统功能恢复生态系统功能的生态方法符合RSPO的目标以及棕榈油生产者1-3。世界上最大的附生蕨（Asplenium nidus; Bird's Nest蕨类植物）是雨林canopies 4-7中生物多样性的热点，也是能够在油棕榈种植园中壮成长的原始雨林栖息地的独特特征1。蕨类植物适应气候和养分可用性的极端，与雨林栖息地8相比，油棕种植园的丰度更高。关于鸟巢蕨中菌4-10的生物多样性和生态系统功能的研究表明，其悬浮的土壤包含足够的无脊椎动物，可以使整个雨雨的无脊椎动物生物量的估计值增加一倍。在这里，我们建议检查鼻曲霉对附生植物紧接的土壤生物多样性和生物地球化学过程的影响，并评估对棕榈生产率的影响，以确定将nidus a a链球菌引入油棕榈种植园是否可以恢复生态系统功能，以恢复数百万公顷的油棕榈范围脱水的油棕榈范围。这是增加油棕可持续性的紧迫性，如果我们表现出改善的生态系统功能，RSPO将规定将妮图斯的引入纳入种植园，因此我们将影响世界各地的政府政策和管理实践。我们的目的是：（1）评估A. nidus悬浮的土壤，渗滤液和土壤的生物地球化学； （2）确定地面土壤养分循环和生物多样性是否得到改善，从而在种植园中生态系统功能。