Does oil palm plantation establishment cause loss/gain of bird species? (Case study: KGP oil palm plantation, West Kalimantan)

Abstract

Oil palm plantation expansion in Indonesia always been associated as the cause of deforestation and loss of biodiversity. This research was conducted aiming to verify that allegation. The study was conducted from July to August 2018 and carried out in an independent oil palm plantation company, KGP in West Kalimantan. To identify the loss and gain of the bird species, an observation about the bird diversity was conducted. Five transects were laid out in each land covers (4 in the oil palm plantation and 1 in the shrub [baseline]). The analysis showed that the bird species found in the shrub was slightly smaller (22 species) then the species found in the oil palm plantation land covers (27 species). A total of 3 species were found only in shrubland cover which later is assumed as the loss. On the other side, 18 species were only found in the oil palm plantation assumed as a gain. These could be happening as 60% of the bird species composition found in shrub were almost the same as those in the High Conservation Value (HCV) land covers which belong to oil palm plantation land cover. Hence, the existence of oil palm plantation did cause a loss to the bird species but also happen to gain some other new species.