Heterogeneity of tree diversity and carbon stocks in Amazonian oil palm landscapes

ABSTRACT

Background: Quantitative effects of large-scale oil palm expansion in the Neotropics on biodiversity and carbon stocks are still poorly documented.

Aims: We evaluated differences in tree species composition and richness, and above-ground carbon stocks among dominant land cover types in Pará state, Brazil.

Methods: We quantified tree species composition and richness and above-ground carbon stock in stands in remnant primary rain forest, young secondary forest, oil palm plantation and pastures.

Results: We sampled 5,696 trees with a DBH ≥ 2 cm, of 413 species in 68 families, of which 381 species were recorded in primary forest fragments. We found significant differences in species richness and carbon stock among the four land cover classes. Carbon stocks in remnant primary forest were typically over 190 Mg ha⁻¹, while those in other land cover types were typically less than 60 Mg ha⁻¹.

Conclusion: Oil palm plantations have a species-poor tree community given active management; old plantations have a standing carbon stock which is comparable to that of secondary forest and far greater than that of pastures. Private forest reserves within oil palm company holdings play an important role in preserving primary forest tree diversity in human-modified landscapes in Amazonia.

KEYWORDS:

• Above-ground biomass
• biofuel
• community composition
• land cover
• oil palm plantation

Acknowledgements

We thank the Post-graduate Programme in Environmental Science, Federal University of Pará for the Ph.D. opportunity for the first author. I.C.G.V. acknowledges CNPq productivity grant no. 308778/2017-0. We thank Carlos Alberto Silva, Nelson Rosa, Carlos Alberto Silva Junior, Rodolfo Rayol for plant identification and support in the fieldwork; the oil palm companies Agropalma, Biopalma, Belém Bioenergia and the Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi for institutional support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplementary data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

The work has been funded by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), within the network INCT/Biodiversidade e Uso da Terra na Amazônia [CNPq no 574008/2008-0].

Notes on contributors

Arlete S. de Almeida

Arlete S. de Almeida works on environmental science and landscape ecology.

Ima C. G. Vieira

Ima C. G. Vieira works on forest ecology and restoration and is interested to improve the interface between science and policy.

Nárgila Moura

Nárgila Moura works on the ecology and conservation of tropical biodiversity.

Alexander C. Lees

Alexander C. Lees works on biodiversity conservation globally and is especially interested in conservation-development trade-offs.