The impact of management in tropical agricultural landscapes on ant communities and their associated ecosystem functions

油棕农业的扩张正在推动热带地区土地使用的重大变化，对该地区的生物多样性构成重大威胁;但在种植园内仍然发现了各种各样的分类群，这对维持基本的生态系统服务至关重要。蚂蚁被认为是热带生态系统中最有影响力的分类类群之一，在捕食、分解和种子传播中发挥着关键作用。然而，还没有做多少工作来量化种植园内管理实践对蚂蚁种群的影响，以及这可能如何影响更广泛的生态系统功能和油棕产量。我的项目调查了两个独立的油棕榈农业生态系统管理策略的影响，在马来西亚半岛的小农场和印度尼西亚苏门答腊岛的工业种植园之间进行数据收集。在这两个网站上，我正在评估的影响，栖息地管理内种植园社区组成的蚂蚁。我还在探索蚂蚁的多样性和丰富度的增加是否与更高水平的生态系统功能和作物产量有关，以及它是否与其他动物的多样性有关。我的发现将对油棕产业产生直接的实际影响，有助于为未来的农业生态系统管理战略提供信息。具体来说，如果发现丰富的蚂蚁群落有利于重要的生态系统过程，如捕食和食草动物，这将使种植者能够采取量身定制的管理措施，可以缓冲负面的生态影响，并提高棕榈油产量。我的研究项目也将有助于进一步了解热带蚂蚁生态学，以及全球可持续农业的发展。

The expansion of oil palm agriculture is driving major land use change in the tropics posing a major threat to biodiversity in the region; but within plantations a wide range of taxa are still found, which can be important for maintaining essential ecosystem services. Ants are considered to be one of the most influential taxonomic groups within tropical ecosystems, playing key roles in predation, decomposition and seed dispersal. However, little work has yet been done to quantify the influence that within-plantation management practices have on ant populations and how this might impact wider ecosystem functioning and oil palm yield. My project investigates the impacts of two separate oil palm agroecosystem management strategies, with data collection being split between smallholdings in Peninsular Malaysia and an industrial plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia. At both sites I am assessing the effect of habitat management on within-plantation community composition of ants. I am also exploring whether an increased diversity and abundance of ants is associated with higher levels of ecosystem functionality and crop yield, and whether it is associated with diversity of other fauna.My findings will have direct practical implications for the oil palm industry, helping to inform future agroecosystem management strategy. Specifically, if enriched ant communities are found to benefit important ecosystem processes such as predation and herbivory, this will allow growers to adopt tailored management practices that could buffer negative ecological impacts, as well as improve palm oil yields. My research project will also contribute to the further understanding of tropical ant ecology, and the global development of sustainable agriculture.