Ecological and socio-economic functions across tropical land use systems after rainforest conversion.
Tropical lowland rainforests are increasingly threatened by the expansion of agriculture and the extraction of natural resources. In Jambi Province, Indonesia, the interdisciplinary EFForTS project focuses on the ecological and socio-economic dimensions of rainforest conversion to jungle rubber agroforests and monoculture plantations of rubber and oil palm. Our data confirm that rainforest transformation and land use intensification lead to substantial losses in biodiversity and related ecosystem functions, such as decreased above- and below-ground carbon stocks. Owing to rapid step-wise transformation from forests to agroforests to monoculture plantations and renewal of each plantation type every few decades, the converted land use systems are continuously dynamic, thus hampering the adaptation of animal and plant communities. On the other hand, agricultural rainforest transformation systems provide increased income and access to education, especially for migrant smallholders. Jungle rubber and rubber monocultures are associated with higher financial land productivity but lower financial labour productivity compared to oil palm, which influences crop choice: smallholders that are labour-scarce would prefer oil palm while land-scarce smallholders would prefer rubber. Collecting long-term data in an interdisciplinary context enables us to provide decision-makers and stakeholders with scientific insights to facilitate the reconciliation between economic interests and ecological sustainability in tropical agricultural landscapes.
Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Berliner Strasse 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany jdresch@gwdg.de.
Jochen
0000-0002-5162-9779
J
Drescher
Biodiversity, Macroecology and Conservation Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Katja
K
Rembold
Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems, Büsgen Institute, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Kara
K
Allen
Chair of Forest Inventory and Remote Sensing, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 5, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Philip
P
Beckschäfer
Department of Plant Protection, Bogor Agricultural University, Kampus IPB Darmaga, Bogor 16680, Indonesia.
Damayanti
D
Buchori
Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany Centre for Environmental and Climate Research, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362 Lund, Sweden.
Yann
Y
Clough
Department of Human Geography, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstrasse 5, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Heiko
H
Faust
Department of Agroindustrial Technology, Bogor Agricultural University, Kampus IPB Darmaga, Bogor 16680, Indonesia.
Anas M
AM
Fauzi
Centre for Climate Change and Air Quality, Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG), Jln Angkasa I No. 2, Jakarta 10720, Indonesia.
Dodo
D
Gunawan
Department of Plant Ecology and Ecosystem Research, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Dietrich
D
Hertel
Faculty of Forestry, University of Jambi, Jln Raya Jambi-Muara Bulian km 15, Mendalo Darat, Jambi 36361, Indonesia.
Bambang
B
Irawan
Forest Resources Inventory and Remote Sensing, Bogor Agricultural University, Kampus IPB Darmaga, Bogor 16680, Indonesia.
I Nengah S
IN
Jaya
Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Berliner Strasse 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Bernhard
B
Klarner
Chair of Forest Inventory and Remote Sensing, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 5, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Christoph
C
Kleinn
Bioclimatology, Büsgen Institute, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Alexander
A
Knohl
Department of Plant Ecology and Ecosystem Research, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Martyna M
MM
Kotowska
Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Berliner Strasse 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Valentyna
V
Krashevska
Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Vijesh
V
Krishna
Department of Plant Ecology and Ecosystem Research, Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Christoph
C
Leuschner
Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Berliner Strasse 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Wolfram
W
Lorenz
Bioclimatology, Büsgen Institute, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Ana
A
Meijide
Chair of Forest Inventory and Remote Sensing, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 5, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Dian
D
Melati
Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tokohu University, Aroba 6-3, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-85478, Japan.
Miki
M
Nomura
Chair of Forest Inventory and Remote Sensing, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 5, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
César
C
Pérez-Cruzado
Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Matin
M
Qaim
Department of Silviculture, Bogor Agricultural University, Kampus IPB Darmaga, Bogor 16680, Indonesia.
Iskandar Z
IZ
Siregar
Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Theaterplatz 15, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Stefanie
S
Steinebach
Agriculture Faculty of Tadulako University, Jln Soekarno Hatta km 09, Tondo, Palu 94118, Indonesia.
Aiyen
A
Tjoa
Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Teja
T
Tscharntke
Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Berliner Strasse 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Barbara
B
Wick
Ecosystem Modelling, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Kerstin
K
Wiegand
Biodiversity, Macroecology and Conservation Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Holger
H
Kreft
Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Berliner Strasse 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Stefan
S
Scheu
D000383:Agriculture; D028023:Arecaceae / Q000254:growth & development; D044822:Biodiversity; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D028482:Hevea / Q000254:growth & development; D007214:Indonesia; D065947:Rainforest
D002244:Carbon
EFForTS; agroforestry; biodiversity and ecosystem function; deforestation; jungle rubber; oil palm