Establishing the relative importance of a rainforest microcosm in oil palm plantations

棕榈油是地球上消费最广泛的植物油，油棕榈油种植园的扩大是造成陆地生物多样性丧失的主要原因1。提高棕榈油生产可持续性的努力包括参与可持续棕榈油认证计划圆桌会议2-3。恢复油棕榈种植园生态系统功能，同时提高油棕榈树的健康和生产力的生态方法符合RSPO以及棕榈油生产商的目标1-3。世界上最大的附生蕨类植物(燕窝蕨类植物)是雨林树冠4-7中生物多样性的热点，也是原始雨林栖息地的一个独特特征，能够在油棕榈种植园中茁壮成长1。适应极端气候和养分供应的蕨类植物在油棕榈种植园可以达到比雨林生境更高的丰度8。对燕窝蕨类4-10的生物多样性和生态系统功能的研究表明，其悬浮土壤中含有足够的无脊椎动物，是整个雨林树冠4无脊椎动物生物量估计值的两倍。在这里，我们建议研究黄曲霉渗滤液对紧邻附生植物的土壤生物多样性和生物地球化学过程的影响，并评估其对棕榈树生产力的影响，以确定将黄曲霉引入油棕榈园是否可以恢复数百万公顷退化油棕榈园的生态系统功能。这就是提高油棕榈树可持续性的紧迫性，如果我们表现出改善的生态系统功能，RSPO将规定将油棕榈树引入种植园，因此我们将影响世界各地的政府政策和管理实践。我们的目标是：(1)评估悬浮土、渗滤液和地面土壤的生物地球化学；(2)确定地面土壤养分循环和生物多样性是否得到改善，从而增强人工林的生态系统功能。

Palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on Earth and the expansion of oil palm (Elaies guineensis) plantations is a major contributor to the loss of terrestrial biodiversity1. Efforts to improve the sustainability of palm oil production include engagement with Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)certification schemes2-3 . Ecological approaches that restore ecosystem function to oil palm plantationswhilst simultaneously enhancing oil palm health and productivity meet the objectives of the RSPO as well as palm oil producers1-3. The world's largest epiphytic ferns (Asplenium nidus; bird's nest ferns) are hotspots of biodiversity in rainforest canopies4-7 and a unique feature of the original rainforest habitat able to thrive in oil palm plantations1. Adapted to withstand extremes in climate and nutrient availability, the ferns can reach higher abundances in oil palm plantations than in rainforest habitats8. Research on the biodiversity and ecosystem function of the bird's nest fern mesocosm4-10 has revealed that its suspendedsoils include enough invertebrates to double the estimate of the invertebrate biomass of an entire rainforest canopy4. Here, we propose to examine the influence of A. nidus leachate on soil biodiversity and biogeochemical processes immediately below the epiphyte, and assess the effect on palm productivity, to determine whether the introduction of A. nidus into oil palm plantations could restore ecosystem functionthroughout millions of hectares of degraded oil palm landscapes. Such is the urgency of increasing oil palm sustainability, that if we show improved ecosystem functionality, the RSPO will stipulate the introduction of A. nidus into plantations, and thus we will influence government policies and management practices around the world. Our aims are to: (1) assess the biogeochemistry of A. nidus suspended soils, leachate,and ground soil; and (2) determine if ground soil nutrient cycling and biodiversity is improved, therebyenhancing ecosystem functionality in plantations.