Tropical forest clearance impacts biodiversity and function, whereas logging changes structure
File(s)Marsh_BaliSynthesis_MainText_v5.docx (5.48 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The impacts of degradation and deforestation on tropical forests are poorly understood, particularly at landscape scales. We present an extensive ecosystem analysis of the impacts of logging and conversion of tropical forest to oil palm from a large-scale study in Borneo, synthesizing responses from 82 variables categorized into four ecological levels spanning a broad suite of ecosystem properties: (i) structure and environment, (ii) species traits, (iii) biodiversity, and (iv) ecosystem functions. Responses were highly heterogeneous and often complex and nonlinear. Variables that were directly impacted by the physical process of timber extraction, such as soil structure, were sensitive to even moderate amounts of logging, whereas measures of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning were generally resilient to logging but more affected by conversion to oil palm plantation.
Date Issued
2025-01-10
Date Acceptance
2024-11-19
Citation
Science, 2025, 387 (6730), pp.171-175
ISSN
0036-8075
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Start Page
171
End Page
175
Journal / Book Title
Science
Volume
387
Issue
6730
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2025 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. This is the author’s accepted manuscript made available under a CC-BY licence in accordance with Imperial’s Research Publications Open Access policy (www.imperial.ac.uk/oa-policy)
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39787239
Subjects
Arecaceae
Biodiversity
Borneo
Conservation of Natural Resources
Forestry
Soil
Trees
Tropical Climate
Rainforest
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2025-01-09