The diversity of birds in the young oil palm agroforestry plot in Jambi, Indonesia

Abstract

By 2010, Sumatera Island of Indonesia had lost the highest annual forest cover due to oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) expansion, leading to adverse environmental impacts. The introduction of oil palm agroforestry (OPAF) within the social forestry program was to reduce these environmental impacts, conserve biodiversity, enhance wildlife habitat, and improve smallholder household resilience. However, the information on OPAF implementation progress and its benefits and ecological impacts still need to be explored. This research aims to measure the diversity of birds in young OPAF by comparing birds’ diversity in four land covers: young oil palm agroforestry (three years after establishment), old oil palm agroforestry (20 years after establishment), oil palm monoculture, and secondary forest. We indicated 43 bird species from 25 families across all land covers. The secondary forest had the highest valueof bird diversity index value of 2.80. The second was the first young oil palm agroforestry (2.42), followed by old OPAF, oil palm monoculture, and the second young OPAF with index values of 2.30, 2.19, and 2.16, respectively. Enrichment planting on oil palm monoculture through OPAF development could help restore tropical forests’ structural complexity while also providing more suitable bird habitats.