Testing the benefits of conservation set-asides for improved habitat connectivity in tropical agricultural landscapes.

摘要: Habitat connectivity is important for tropical biodiversity conservation. Expansion of commodity crops, such as oil palm, fragments natural habitat areas, and strategies are needed to improve in agricultural landscapes. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) voluntary certification system requires that growers identify conserve forest patches identified High Conservation Value Areas (HCVAs) before palm plantations can be certified sustainable. We assessed the potential benefits these conservation set‐asides connectivity. mapped HCVAs quantified their cover 2015. To assess contribution connectivity, we modelled range expansion forest‐dependent populations with five dispersal abilities spanning those representative poor dispersers (e.g. flightless insects) more mobile species large birds or bats) across 70 plantation landscapes Borneo. Because only 21% HCVA area was forested 2015, currently provide few benefits. Compared a scenario where contain no (i.e. no‐RSPO scenario), current improved by ~3% all abilities. However, if were fully reforested, then overall landscape could ~16%. Reforestation had greatest benefit intermediate (0.5–3 km per generation), generating up 2.7 times better connected than without HCVAs. By contrast, low highly under reforestation scenarios, because generally successful regardless amount cover. Synthesis applications. set aside biodiversity, but they relatively little forest. reforested have some winged insects), recommend active management companies quality degraded enrichment planting). Future revisions RSPO's Principles Criteria should also ensure core >2 km²) reconnected continuous tracts maximize