Faunal diversity in oil palm plantations in Cesar, Colombia

Background/Question/Methods

The production of African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) has seen exponential growth since the 1970s, now occupying 10% of the world’s permanent cropland. Oil palm is expanding in megadiverse countries within lowland tropical forests that are highly threatened. It has been found that approximately 85% biodiversity is lost with the conversion of forests to oil palm.  Thus far, most work on the impacts of oil palm has focused on Southeast Asia. Colombia is the fourth largest producer in the world and the largest producer in Latin America with an aggressive goal of a 10-fold increase in production by 2017. While oil palm is often associated with deforestation, it some regions it is replacing low-value, extensive agriculture. The objective of this study was to understand how different taxa are affected by oil palm agriculture and how management practices can influence these impacts. In the summer of 2011, sampling was conducted in areas that were tropical dry forest in César Colombia on 3 farms with varied management, including certified and conventional farms. Standard sampling methods were used to survey birds (point-counts), butterflies (array of Van Someren-Rydon traps), and amphibians (visual encounter survey transects).  

Results/Conclusions

Birds, butterflies, and amphibians showed different responses in both diversity and abundance in relation to farm management practices. While over 60 species of birds were found on oil palm plantations, they were wide ranging species of low conservation concern. Yet, the bird communities on each farm were distinct, demonstrating that responses to oil palm agriculture cannot be considered uniform. Even small strips of riparian vegetation were crucial in maintaining biodiversity, creating suitable habitat for a greater number of species across taxa. Overall, oil palm agriculture appears to have very limited value for conservation of endemic or threatened species. However, more work is needed to understand the use these systems by migrating species and mammals, as multiple mammal mesopredators were recorded. The results of this work suggest that sustainably managed oil palm plantations could be used in buffer zones for protected areas, and it would be valuable to understand how oil palm agriculture compares to other prevalent land uses.