The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture
The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture (BEFTA) Programme aims to quantify the effect of incorporating habitat complexity within oil palm plantations on biodiversity and experimentally test the role of this biodiversity in ecosystem functioning and productivity.
Palm oil is among the most important sources of vegetable oil worldwide. With increasing demand as a feedstock for biofuel production, its global demand is set to increase. It is clear that forest conversion to oil palm plantation has severe impacts on biodiversity. However, little research has focused on methods that can be employed to maximise biodiversity within plantation habitats, nor the role this biodiversity plays in ecosystem functioning and crop production.
Working with the oil palm industry and an international team of collaborative researches, the projects aim to establish the role of biodiversity within tropical agro-ecosystems, which will support the development of improved oil palm management and industry-compatible biodiversity surveys and guides.
New postdoc position available working at the BEFTA Project
A new 10 month, NERC-funded post-doc position is now being advertised in the Insect Ecology Group at the University of Cambridge studying the effects of the recent El Niño drought event at BEFTA. The project will investigate the effects of the recent drought on an oil palm ecosystem and the potential of different…
Photograph of Bali Cattle taken at the BEFTA site wins prize
Photograph taken by Jake Snaddon of Bali Cattle taken at the BEFTA site wins prize at Cambridge Zoology Department 150th Anniversary Photography Competition. Photographs from the competition feature in the departments 2017 calendar. Bali cattle were domesticated from the endangered wild Banteng (Bos javanicus), which can still be found in…