TRAILS: A pilot project for oil palm-based agroforestry in Sabah
2024
Rival, Alain | Ancrenaz, Marc | Guizol, Philippe | Lackman, Isabelle | Burhan, Sempe | Firdaus, M. | Djama, Marcel
Due to the loss of structurally complex habitats, biodiversity is significantly reduced in oil palm-dominated landscapes, as deforestation has altered essential ecosystem services. Despite its commercial success, intensive oil palm monoculture faces social and environmental constraints. Profound changes are needed to adapt the traditional plantation model and innovate in more resilient cropping systems. The capacity of palm-based agroforestry to regenerate biodiversity and improve climate resilience while providing a sustainable income for farmers needs to be assessed. The TRAILS multidisciplinary research project has installed a 37 ha experimental prototype in Sabah, Malaysia. The project is exploring different planting models (inter-row, mixed-tree and forest island) aimed at providing information on: i) the ability of oil palm to grow in competition with forest trees, ii) possible combinations of tree species and their compatibility with oil palm, and iii) the growth and development characteristics of a number of native species of interest.
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