Are you familiar with palm oil?

My guess is, yes, as it& #39;s present in many commercial products, ranging from shampoo to biscuits to biodiesel. This incredibly versatile oil is produced from oil palms, which are grown in the tropics. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🌴" title="Palm tree" aria-label="Emoji: Palm tree">

#palmoil #oilpalm #biodiversity #insects

Oil palm is often discussed in relation to biodiversity. This is because, historically, oil palm plantations have been established on forested land. Converting forest to oil palm plantations decreases levels of biodiversity.

But is oil palm only bad for biodiversity?

Although much less biodiverse than forest, oil palm plantations can still host relatively high levels of biodiversity. This is particularly true for #generalist species, including many insects. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🦋" title="Butterfly" aria-label="Emoji: Butterfly">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐞" title="Lady beetle" aria-label="Emoji: Lady beetle">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐜" title="Ant" aria-label="Emoji: Ant">

Can we increase the amount of biodiversity in plantations?

The amount of biodiversity in oil palm plantations is partially determined by how the plantation is managed. @BEFTAproject -- of which my PhD is part -- studies how management of oil palm plantations impacts biodiversity, ecosystem processes, and yields. https://bit.ly/2S8mGjo ">https://bit.ly/2S8mGjo&q...

In my next thread, I& #39;ll talk more about my research, which investigates how #replanting of oil palm plantations might impact biodiversity.

@ZoologyMuseum @CamZoology @Micharaneae