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Saving rainforests from planters

The expansion of commercial plantations in tropical countries at the expense of species-rich rainforests is causing a serious erosion of biodiversity. A systematic study of rainforests and converted land in countries growing oil palm shows that only a sixth of the species normally found in a region remains after forests have been felled to make way for cash crops. The review of the status of birds, bats, ants, and other species reported in Trends in Ecology and Evolution strengthens the consensus that plantations are a poor substitute for old-growth lowland tropical forests when it comes to species survival. The findings reported by scientists from the Zoological Society of London and the University of East Anglia should encourage countries in Central Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia that have rich species diversity, to stop further deforestation. Rainforests have long been recognised as globally important for the role they play as carbon sinks that help stabilise climate. It is extremely damaging to the environment, therefore, that these unique forests continue to be cleared in several countries, led by Malaysia and Indonesia, to produce ‘green’ biofuel from oil palm. A more enlightened policy is necessary to ensure that biofuel, the demand for which is increasing, does not eliminate tropical forests and their biological diversity.

Among the alternatives that can be considered to expand oil palm cultivation is the use of wasteland having poor conservation value. Care must be taken, however, to avoid diverting degraded forestland. Research shows that even partially affected forests are more hospitable to animals and birds than plantations. Stronger international policies on the origin of biofuels, incorporating strict evidence requirements, may help cut forest loss and compel producers to adopt sustainable practices. Requiring exporting countries to prove that they have applied due environmental diligence in growing oil palm may stem the loss of biological diversity. In India, the experience with species conservation in plantations provides an interesting contrast. A combination of good research and dedicated conservation action has helped retain and nurture fragments of rainforests that lie within plantations in the Western Ghats. This has allowed rare birds and mammals, such as the lion-tailed macaque, to survive in a human-dominated landscape. Tropical forests play a key role as the world’s carbon and wildlife reservoirs. Destroying them to meet immediate biofuel needs is guaranteed to cause incalculable harm to humanity’s long-term future.

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