Are arecanut plantations really suitable for biodiversity conservation?

Abstract

Ranganathan et al. (1) conclude that arecanut plantations in south India are useful for bird conservation based on a comparison of species richness with intact forest. Consideration of abundance data might provide different insights. The supporting information (SI) shows that typical forest species such as Irena puella, Hypothymis azurea, and Alcippe poioicephala were present in both forests and arecanut plantations but were detected 6, 3, and 8 times, respectively, more often in forests. In my experience in the Western Ghats, I find that most forest bird species, including Great Hornbill, are occasionally found even in bird-unfriendly land uses such as tea plantations, possibly during movement between forest patches; but they are detected much more often in intact forests. Information on population densities and breeding success of species are required before we can decide on the suitability of a particular land use for conservation.