Southeast Asia’s tropical forests face mounting pressure from palm oil expansion. A groundbreaking six-year experiment in Sumatra reveals how strategic tree islands within oil palm plantations can foster native biodiversity recovery, according to research published in Science. The Experiment The research team, led by Göttingen University in collaboration with IPB University, Bogor and Jambi University, established 52 experimental tree islands within a conventional oil palm plantation. These islands varied in size and tree diversity, testing different approaches to ecological restoration. “An important finding to inform plantation management is that larger islands of trees, particularly those over 400 m², are essential … Continue reading Tree Islands in Sumatra’s Oil Palm Plantations Boost Biodiversity with 400 m² Patches Restoring 90% Native Species in Just Six Years