Abstract
Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) is an economically important crop, yet it plays a major role in tropical deforestation and has significant negative impacts on biodiversity. The ecological drivers of oil palm pollination are still poorly understood, despite pollination being a key ecosystem service for the yield of this multi-billion-dollar industry, with potential links to biodiversity conservation. Here we review biotic and abiotic drivers of pollination and known oil palm pollinators, including local insect species endemic to specific growing regions, and an important, globally-introduced West African weevil (Elaeidobius kamerunicus) whose fluctuating populations have led to concerns about yield and resilience. Future research should clarify pollinator community dynamics to facilitate pollination complementarity, which may strengthen pollination services in regions beyond the oil palm and weevil’s native West African ecosystem. In addition, other interactions such as mutualism, predation, and parasitism are not yet well understood, but could provide further insight into population drivers. Future management research should explore manipulating male palm inflorescence density, a key resource for pollinators, as well as investigate spatial and landscape effects on pollinator populations. Critically, no studies have investigated the effects of climate change on pollination, despite the impacts of rain and temperature on pollination efficiency. A greater understanding of the role of pollinator species and their nonlinear relationships to yield, as well as the complexity of biotic, management, and climate drivers of successful pollination can contribute to a more sustainable oil palm production system that values ecosystem services gained from biodiversity, while also improving producer livelihoods.
Published Version
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