Meta-analysis contrasting freshwater biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers
The expansion of oil palm plantations has led to land-use change and deforestation in the tropics, which has affected biodiversity. Although the impacts of the crop on terrestrial biodiversity have been extensively reviewed, its effects on freshwater biodiversity remain relatively unexplored. We rev...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/110375/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/110375/1/110375.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848865508832575488 |
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| author | Rojas‐Castillo, Oscar Alberto Kepfer Rojas, Sebastian Juen, Leandro Montag, Luciano Fogaça de Assis Carvalho, Fernando Geraldo Mendes, Thiago Pereira Chua, Kenny Wei Jie Wilkinson, Clare L. Amal, Mohammad Noor Azmai Fahmi‐Ahmad, Muhammad Jacobsen, Dean |
| author_facet | Rojas‐Castillo, Oscar Alberto Kepfer Rojas, Sebastian Juen, Leandro Montag, Luciano Fogaça de Assis Carvalho, Fernando Geraldo Mendes, Thiago Pereira Chua, Kenny Wei Jie Wilkinson, Clare L. Amal, Mohammad Noor Azmai Fahmi‐Ahmad, Muhammad Jacobsen, Dean |
| author_sort | Rojas‐Castillo, Oscar Alberto |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The expansion of oil palm plantations has led to land-use change and deforestation in the tropics, which has affected biodiversity. Although the impacts of the crop on terrestrial biodiversity have been extensively reviewed, its effects on freshwater biodiversity remain relatively unexplored. We reviewed the research assessing the impacts of forest-to-oil palm conversion on freshwater biota and the mitigating effect of riparian buffers on these impacts. We searched for studies comparing taxa richness, species abundance, and community composition of macroinvertebrates, amphibians, and fish in streams in forests (primary and disturbed) and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers. Then, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the overall effect of the land-use change on the 3 taxonomic groups. Twenty-nine studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. On average, plantations lacking buffers hosted 44 and 19 fewer stream taxa than primary and disturbed forests, respectively. Stream taxa on plantations with buffers were 24 lower than in primary forest and did not differ significantly from disturbed forest. In contrast, stream community composition differed between forests and plantations regardless of the presence of riparian buffers. These differences were attributed to agrochemical use and altered environmental conditions in the plantations, including temperature changes, worsened water conditions, microhabitat loss, and food and shelter depletion. On aggregate, abundance did not differ significantly among land uses because increases in generalist species offset the population decline of vulnerable forest specialists in the plantation. Our results reveal significant impacts of forest-to-oil palm conversion on freshwater biota, particularly taxa richness and composition (but not aggregate abundance). Although preserving riparian buffers in the plantations can mitigate the loss of various aquatic species, it cannot conserve primary forest communities. Therefore, safeguarding primary forests from the oil palm expansion is crucial, and further research is needed to address riparian buffers as a promising mitigation strategy in agricultural areas. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:05:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-110375 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:05:50Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1103752024-10-07T03:30:07Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/110375/ Meta-analysis contrasting freshwater biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers Rojas‐Castillo, Oscar Alberto Kepfer Rojas, Sebastian Juen, Leandro Montag, Luciano Fogaça de Assis Carvalho, Fernando Geraldo Mendes, Thiago Pereira Chua, Kenny Wei Jie Wilkinson, Clare L. Amal, Mohammad Noor Azmai Fahmi‐Ahmad, Muhammad Jacobsen, Dean The expansion of oil palm plantations has led to land-use change and deforestation in the tropics, which has affected biodiversity. Although the impacts of the crop on terrestrial biodiversity have been extensively reviewed, its effects on freshwater biodiversity remain relatively unexplored. We reviewed the research assessing the impacts of forest-to-oil palm conversion on freshwater biota and the mitigating effect of riparian buffers on these impacts. We searched for studies comparing taxa richness, species abundance, and community composition of macroinvertebrates, amphibians, and fish in streams in forests (primary and disturbed) and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers. Then, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the overall effect of the land-use change on the 3 taxonomic groups. Twenty-nine studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. On average, plantations lacking buffers hosted 44 and 19 fewer stream taxa than primary and disturbed forests, respectively. Stream taxa on plantations with buffers were 24 lower than in primary forest and did not differ significantly from disturbed forest. In contrast, stream community composition differed between forests and plantations regardless of the presence of riparian buffers. These differences were attributed to agrochemical use and altered environmental conditions in the plantations, including temperature changes, worsened water conditions, microhabitat loss, and food and shelter depletion. On aggregate, abundance did not differ significantly among land uses because increases in generalist species offset the population decline of vulnerable forest specialists in the plantation. Our results reveal significant impacts of forest-to-oil palm conversion on freshwater biota, particularly taxa richness and composition (but not aggregate abundance). Although preserving riparian buffers in the plantations can mitigate the loss of various aquatic species, it cannot conserve primary forest communities. Therefore, safeguarding primary forests from the oil palm expansion is crucial, and further research is needed to address riparian buffers as a promising mitigation strategy in agricultural areas. Wiley 2024-02 Article PeerReviewed text en cc_by_4 http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/110375/1/110375.pdf Rojas‐Castillo, Oscar Alberto and Kepfer Rojas, Sebastian and Juen, Leandro and Montag, Luciano Fogaça de Assis and Carvalho, Fernando Geraldo and Mendes, Thiago Pereira and Chua, Kenny Wei Jie and Wilkinson, Clare L. and Amal, Mohammad Noor Azmai and Fahmi‐Ahmad, Muhammad and Jacobsen, Dean (2024) Meta-analysis contrasting freshwater biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers. Conservation Biology, 38 (1). pp. 1-14. ISSN 0888-8892; eISSN: 1523-1739 https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.14172 10.1111/cobi.14172 |
| spellingShingle | Rojas‐Castillo, Oscar Alberto Kepfer Rojas, Sebastian Juen, Leandro Montag, Luciano Fogaça de Assis Carvalho, Fernando Geraldo Mendes, Thiago Pereira Chua, Kenny Wei Jie Wilkinson, Clare L. Amal, Mohammad Noor Azmai Fahmi‐Ahmad, Muhammad Jacobsen, Dean Meta-analysis contrasting freshwater biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers |
| title | Meta-analysis contrasting freshwater biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers |
| title_full | Meta-analysis contrasting freshwater biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers |
| title_fullStr | Meta-analysis contrasting freshwater biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Meta-analysis contrasting freshwater biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers |
| title_short | Meta-analysis contrasting freshwater biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers |
| title_sort | meta-analysis contrasting freshwater biodiversity in forests and oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/110375/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/110375/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/110375/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/110375/1/110375.pdf |