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Badrul Azhar
Department of Forest Science and Biodiversity, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

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Journal article
Published: 26 June 2021 in Forest Ecology and Management
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Wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations have increased remarkably in many parts of the world. In predominantly Muslim regions such as Peninsular Malaysia, wild boars are native species that have thrived, in part, because Muslims do not hunt them, and also because apex predators such as Malayan tigers (Panthera tigris jacksoni) are declining rapidly. We examined the relationship between the number of wild boar detections, and both landscape metrics and on-site vegetation structure in forestry reserves of Peninsular Malaysia. Camera-trapping was used to record wild boar detections. At each camera trap location, we measured the characteristics of the surrounding landscape and site-level habitat attributes. Our analyses revealed that the number of wild boar detections was positively associated with the number of trees with DBH > 45 cm, number of fallen trees, number of palms, number of saplings, and elevation. In contrast, the number of wild boar detections was negatively associated with the distance from nearest paved and unpaved roads, number of trees with DBH < 45 cm, and canopy cover. Surprisingly, we found that the number of wild boar detections was not associated with forest type, landscape type, and logging. The high detection of wild boars may indicate that large carnivores are disappearing in the forestry reserves. Generally, our findings suggest that wild boar can thrive in tropical fragmented landscapes with favourable site-level habitat characteristics, limited hunting pressure, and an absence of apex predators. In conclusion, wild boars are most likely to affect the ecological integrity of forest reserves.

ACS Style

Ku Noor Khalidah; Siti Wahdaniyah; Norizah Kamarudin; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar. Spared from poaching and natural predation, wild boars are likely to play the role of dominant forest species in Peninsular Malaysia. Forest Ecology and Management 2021, 496, 119458 .

AMA Style

Ku Noor Khalidah, Siti Wahdaniyah, Norizah Kamarudin, Alex M. Lechner, Badrul Azhar. Spared from poaching and natural predation, wild boars are likely to play the role of dominant forest species in Peninsular Malaysia. Forest Ecology and Management. 2021; 496 ():119458.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ku Noor Khalidah; Siti Wahdaniyah; Norizah Kamarudin; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar. 2021. "Spared from poaching and natural predation, wild boars are likely to play the role of dominant forest species in Peninsular Malaysia." Forest Ecology and Management 496, no. : 119458.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2021 in Global Ecology and Conservation
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Southeast Asian tropical rainforests are shrinking at an alarming rate largely due to anthropogenic activities such as logging and agricultural expansion. The loss of tropical rainforests from human exploitations caused devastating and irreversible impacts on avian biodiversity. The establishment of protected areas is an effective tool to mitigate further forest biodiversity loss. However, the ability of degraded rainforest to support avian biodiversity is still remain little known. Here, we assessed bird assemblages in a hill dipterocarp forest in Peninsular Malaysia which was selectively logged almost three decades ago. We examined the effects of site-level attributes, particularly vegetation structure on bird community composition, species richness and abundance of selected feeding guild groups (i.e. insectivorous, carnivorous, and frugivorous). Generally, we found that a selectively logged hill dipterocarp forest can still support a large proportion of forest birds, including those species with high conservation values. Our data also revealed that avian biodiversity was positively related to the number of fallen snags, number of standing snags, number of shrubs, number of trees with DBH < 5 cm, and elevation. In contrast, avian biodiversity was negatively linked to canopy cover percentage, number of palms, and number of trees with DBH 30–50 cm. Our findings suggest the importance of post-harvest site-level attributes management in order to improve avian biodiversity in logged hill dipterocarp forests. Above all, urgent actions are needed to incorporate hill dipterocarp forests, including those already disturbed by logging into protected area networks in Peninsular Malaysia to mitigate forest biodiversity loss.

ACS Style

Sharifah Nur Atikah; Muhammad Syafiq Yahya; Ahmad Razi Norhisham; Norizah Kamarudin; Ruzana Sanusi; Badrul Azhar. Effects of vegetation structure on avian biodiversity in a selectively logged hill dipterocarp forest. Global Ecology and Conservation 2021, 28, e01660 .

AMA Style

Sharifah Nur Atikah, Muhammad Syafiq Yahya, Ahmad Razi Norhisham, Norizah Kamarudin, Ruzana Sanusi, Badrul Azhar. Effects of vegetation structure on avian biodiversity in a selectively logged hill dipterocarp forest. Global Ecology and Conservation. 2021; 28 ():e01660.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sharifah Nur Atikah; Muhammad Syafiq Yahya; Ahmad Razi Norhisham; Norizah Kamarudin; Ruzana Sanusi; Badrul Azhar. 2021. "Effects of vegetation structure on avian biodiversity in a selectively logged hill dipterocarp forest." Global Ecology and Conservation 28, no. : e01660.

Journal article
Published: 28 April 2021 in Land Use Policy
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The European Commission (EC) is critical of palm oil production as it has a high indirect land-use change (ILUC) risk from industrial palm oil expansion pressuring landless/displaced farmers to clear tropical forests. Major palm oil-producing countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia are claiming that the EC’s decision will cause unwarranted obstacles to the adoption of sustainable practices in the palm oil industry and obstruct free trade. To date, in responding to the EC, both Indonesia and Malaysia have yet to develop a national strategy that mitigates the risks of ILUC caused by industrial palm oil expansion. Hence, we propose these major palm oil-producing countries reform their land policy by making it compulsory for plantation companies to share production land with landless/displaced farmers. This strategy could prevent farmers from clearing more tracts of tropical forest and encourage them to use immature and mature areas of palm oil stands for crop and cattle farming, respectively. To guide this strategy, we performed Monte Carlo simulations to predict palm oil production land area and then estimate the land which could be allocated for crop and cattle farming at global-, country-, and plantation-scales. Besides mitigating further deforestation in the tropics, the crop and livestock integration strategy can boost food security and reduce the use of chemical herbicides in palm oil-producing countries. The strategy is consistent with palm oil certification schemes in terms of ensuring social and environmental sustainability. Palm oil-producing countries should implement the strategy to address ILUC risk while consumer countries should demand producers use such strategy.

ACS Style

Badrul Azhar; Frisco Nobilly; Alex M. Lechner; Kamil Azmi Tohiran; Thomas M.R. Maxwell; Raja Zulkifli; Mohd Fathil Kamel; Aslinda Oon. Mitigating the risks of indirect land use change (ILUC) related deforestation from industrial palm oil expansion by sharing land access with displaced crop and cattle farmers. Land Use Policy 2021, 107, 105498 .

AMA Style

Badrul Azhar, Frisco Nobilly, Alex M. Lechner, Kamil Azmi Tohiran, Thomas M.R. Maxwell, Raja Zulkifli, Mohd Fathil Kamel, Aslinda Oon. Mitigating the risks of indirect land use change (ILUC) related deforestation from industrial palm oil expansion by sharing land access with displaced crop and cattle farmers. Land Use Policy. 2021; 107 ():105498.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Badrul Azhar; Frisco Nobilly; Alex M. Lechner; Kamil Azmi Tohiran; Thomas M.R. Maxwell; Raja Zulkifli; Mohd Fathil Kamel; Aslinda Oon. 2021. "Mitigating the risks of indirect land use change (ILUC) related deforestation from industrial palm oil expansion by sharing land access with displaced crop and cattle farmers." Land Use Policy 107, no. : 105498.

Review
Published: 05 January 2021 in Land
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Urban blue-green spaces hold immense potential for supporting the sustainability and liveability of cities through the provision of urban ecosystem services (UES). However, research on UES in the Global South has not been reviewed as systematically as in the Global North. In Southeast Asia, the nature and extent of the biases, imbalances and gaps in UES research are unclear. We address this issue by conducting a systematic review of UES research in Southeast Asia over the last twenty years. Our findings draw attention to the unequal distribution of UES research within the region, and highlight common services, scales and features studied, as well as methods undertaken in UES research. We found that while studies tend to assess regulating and cultural UES at a landscape scale, few studies examined interactions between services by assessing synergies and tradeoffs. Moreover, the bias in research towards megacities in the region may overlook less-developed nations, rural areas, and peri-urban regions and their unique perspectives and preferences towards UES management. We discuss the challenges and considerations for integrating and conducting research on UES in Southeast Asia based on its unique and diverse socio-cultural characteristics. We conclude our review by highlighting aspects of UES research that need more attention in order to support land use planning and decision-making in Southeast Asia.

ACS Style

Karen Lourdes; Chris Gibbins; Perrine Hamel; Ruzana Sanusi; Badrul Azhar; Alex Lechner. A Review of Urban Ecosystem Services Research in Southeast Asia. Land 2021, 10, 40 .

AMA Style

Karen Lourdes, Chris Gibbins, Perrine Hamel, Ruzana Sanusi, Badrul Azhar, Alex Lechner. A Review of Urban Ecosystem Services Research in Southeast Asia. Land. 2021; 10 (1):40.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Karen Lourdes; Chris Gibbins; Perrine Hamel; Ruzana Sanusi; Badrul Azhar; Alex Lechner. 2021. "A Review of Urban Ecosystem Services Research in Southeast Asia." Land 10, no. 1: 40.

Original research
Published: 16 October 2020 in Ecology and Evolution
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The fragmentation of forests by agricultural expansion, urbanization, and road networks is an ongoing global biodiversity crisis. In Southeast Asia and other tropical regions, wildlife populations are being isolated into pockets of natural habitat surrounded by road networks and monoculture plantations. Mortality from wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs) is contributing to a decline in many species of conservation priority in human‐modified landscapes. This study is the first in Malaysia to investigate factors affecting the occurrence of WVCs. We assessed roadkill data gathered by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks on small‐, medium‐, and large‐sized mammals in Peninsular Malaysia. We examined the relationship between wildlife road accidents and several environmental factors. We found a total of 605 roadkill animals, involving 21 species, which included three species classified as Endangered. Road type (plantation road or highway), year, and distance of the road from continuous and fragmented forests were significant in determining mammal mortality. Unexpectedly, the majority of road mortality occurred on palm oil plantation roads compared to highways. Mortality of small‐ and medium‐sized mammals was greater at locations further from continuous forest than those closer to fragmented forests. Segmentation of continuous forest by roads should be avoided wherever possible to reduce the threat of roads on crossing wildlife.

ACS Style

Jamaluddin Jamhuri; Mohd Anuar Edinoor; Norizah Kamarudin; Alex M. Lechner; Adham Ashton‐Butt; Badrul Azhar. Higher mortality rates for large‐ and medium‐sized mammals on plantation roads compared to highways in Peninsular Malaysia. Ecology and Evolution 2020, 10, 12049 -12058.

AMA Style

Jamaluddin Jamhuri, Mohd Anuar Edinoor, Norizah Kamarudin, Alex M. Lechner, Adham Ashton‐Butt, Badrul Azhar. Higher mortality rates for large‐ and medium‐sized mammals on plantation roads compared to highways in Peninsular Malaysia. Ecology and Evolution. 2020; 10 (21):12049-12058.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jamaluddin Jamhuri; Mohd Anuar Edinoor; Norizah Kamarudin; Alex M. Lechner; Adham Ashton‐Butt; Badrul Azhar. 2020. "Higher mortality rates for large‐ and medium‐sized mammals on plantation roads compared to highways in Peninsular Malaysia." Ecology and Evolution 10, no. 21: 12049-12058.

Journal article
Published: 29 May 2020 in Global Ecology and Conservation
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The iconic large-bodied Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus) is endemic to Southeast Asia and is currently listed as endangered. To date, little is known about how tapir respond to habitat fragmentation in forestry landscapes. This study aimed to assess tapir occurrence in eight forestry reserves, outside the main protected areas in Peninsular Malaysia, using non-intrusive camera trapping methods. These reserves include logged or unlogged, contiguous or fragmented, peat swamp forest and lowland dipterocarp forest. Out of 345 camera-trapping locations, over six years, we detected tapir at 39 locations, represented by 960 images. An assessment of vegetation structure and landscape variables was conducted to identify the key factors associated with their tapir presence. We found that tapir occurrence significantly increased with the number of trees with a DBH of 5–45 cm, number of saplings, percentage of canopy cover, trees with a DBH of more than 45 cm and distance from the nearest road. While, tapir detection decreased with the number of dead fallen trees and number of palms. Our data highlights the importance of conserving these remaining fragmented forest reserves, particularly peat swamp forests and ways in which suitable habitat conditions may be created to support tapir populations. We conclude by discussing intervention approaches such as relocation, reintroduction and restocking and restoration to improve the structural attributes of vegetation utilised by tapirs.

ACS Style

Liza D. Samantha; Sze Ling Tee; Norizah Kamarudin; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar. Assessing habitat requirements of Asian tapir in forestry landscapes: Implications for conservation. Global Ecology and Conservation 2020, 23, e01137 .

AMA Style

Liza D. Samantha, Sze Ling Tee, Norizah Kamarudin, Alex M. Lechner, Badrul Azhar. Assessing habitat requirements of Asian tapir in forestry landscapes: Implications for conservation. Global Ecology and Conservation. 2020; 23 ():e01137.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Liza D. Samantha; Sze Ling Tee; Norizah Kamarudin; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar. 2020. "Assessing habitat requirements of Asian tapir in forestry landscapes: Implications for conservation." Global Ecology and Conservation 23, no. : e01137.

Journal article
Published: 20 May 2020 in Global Ecology and Conservation
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Deforestation of tropical peat swamp forests is rapidly taking place across Southeast Asia to make way for agricultural expansion. Within forest ecosystems, macrofungi play a vital role, including wood decomposition and nutrient cycles. To reveal the effects of deforestation and land cover conversion on macrofungi in Southeast Asian tropical forests we assessed the relationship between environmental variables such as air temperature, relative air humidity, soil pH, soil moisture, canopy cover, canopy closure, habitat type (i.e., peat swamp forest, large-scale plantation, monoculture smallholding, and polyculture smallholding) and available substrata with macrofungal species richness and abundance. We sample macrofungi across four habitats on Peninsula Malaysia including peat swamp forest, large-scale plantations, monoculture smallholding and polyculture smallholding. We found that substrate richness had a positive effect on macrofungal morphospecies richness, while soil pH and air temperature had a negative effect. For macrofungal abundance, canopy closure and soil moisture had negative effects, whereas substrate richness and relative air humidity had positive effects. Our data showed considerable variation in functional group responses to environmental variables. The abundance of wood-inhabiting fungi was driven primarily by substrate richness, while relative air humidity, soil moisture, and habitat type play minor roles. The abundance of terricolous saprotrophic fungi was determined principally by habitat type, substrate richness, and relative air humidity. Macrofungal community structure was mainly influenced by substrate richness, followed by microclimates and soil characteristics. Our results can provides critical ecological data to support conservation stakeholders conserve macrofungi in natural and agricultural peatlands. Our study suggests that the expansion of oil palm monocultures, to the detriment of peat swamp forests, is likely to have negative effects on macrofungal biodiversity and further agricultural expansion should be prevented.

ACS Style

Siti Noor Shuhada; Sabiha Salim; Frisco Nobilly; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar. Conversion of peat swamp forest to oil palm cultivation reduces the diversity and abundance of macrofungi. Global Ecology and Conservation 2020, 23, e01122 .

AMA Style

Siti Noor Shuhada, Sabiha Salim, Frisco Nobilly, Alex M. Lechner, Badrul Azhar. Conversion of peat swamp forest to oil palm cultivation reduces the diversity and abundance of macrofungi. Global Ecology and Conservation. 2020; 23 ():e01122.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Siti Noor Shuhada; Sabiha Salim; Frisco Nobilly; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar. 2020. "Conversion of peat swamp forest to oil palm cultivation reduces the diversity and abundance of macrofungi." Global Ecology and Conservation 23, no. : e01122.

Original research
Published: 31 December 2019 in Ecology and Evolution
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In human‐modified landscapes, important ecological functions such as predation are negatively affected by anthropogenic activities, including the use of pesticides and habitat degradation. Predation of insect pests is an indicator of healthy ecosystem functioning, which provides important ecosystem services, especially for agricultural systems. In this study, we compare predation attempts from arthropods, mammals, and birds on artificial caterpillars in the understory, between three tropical agricultural land‐use types: oil palm plantations, rubber tree plantations, and fruit orchards. We collected a range of local and landscape‐scale data including undergrowth vegetation structure; elevation; proximity to forest; and canopy cover in order to understand how environmental variables can affect predation. In all three land‐use types, our results showed that arthropods and mammals were important predators of artificial caterpillars and there was little predation by birds. We did not find any effect of the environmental variables on predation. There was an interactive effect between land‐use type and predator type. Predation by mammals was considerably higher in fruit orchards and rubber tree than in oil palm plantations, likely due to their ability to support higher abundances of insectivorous mammals. In order to maintain or enhance natural pest control in these common tropical agricultural land‐use types, management practices that benefit insectivorous animals should be introduced, such as the reduction of pesticides, improvement of understory vegetation, and local and landscape heterogeneity.

ACS Style

Nuradilah Denan; Wan Mamat Wan Zaki; Ahmad R. Norhisham; Ruzana Sanusi; Dzulhelmi Muhammad Nasir; Frisco Nobilly; Adham Ashton‐Butt; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar. Predation of potential insect pests in oil palm plantations, rubber tree plantations, and fruit orchards. Ecology and Evolution 2019, 10, 654 -661.

AMA Style

Nuradilah Denan, Wan Mamat Wan Zaki, Ahmad R. Norhisham, Ruzana Sanusi, Dzulhelmi Muhammad Nasir, Frisco Nobilly, Adham Ashton‐Butt, Alex M. Lechner, Badrul Azhar. Predation of potential insect pests in oil palm plantations, rubber tree plantations, and fruit orchards. Ecology and Evolution. 2019; 10 (2):654-661.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nuradilah Denan; Wan Mamat Wan Zaki; Ahmad R. Norhisham; Ruzana Sanusi; Dzulhelmi Muhammad Nasir; Frisco Nobilly; Adham Ashton‐Butt; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar. 2019. "Predation of potential insect pests in oil palm plantations, rubber tree plantations, and fruit orchards." Ecology and Evolution 10, no. 2: 654-661.

Journal article
Published: 04 July 2019 in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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Forest conversion to oil palm plantation is causing a major loss of biodiversity in Southeast Asia and other tropical regions. Oil palm plantations have less biodiversity because of their simplified vegetation, human disturbances, and extreme microclimate conditions. Alley-cropping system incorporates a secondary crop in the alleys between the main crops. In some cases alley-cropping can result in a greater vegetation structural complexity, thus potentially providing agricultural and ecological benefits, including: buffering against weather extremes, reduction in soil erosion, increased biodiversity, and increased nutrient and water-use efficiency. In this study, we compared vegetation structure (height and cover of vegetation), microclimate (air temperature, relative humidity, light intensity and wind speed), and soil conditions (soil surface temperature, soil pH and soil moisture) across a range of alley-cropping systems and two ages of monoculture oil palm. We found that alley- cropping system had varied structural complexity across different crops when compared to oil palm monoculture system. Careful selection of crops was essential, with black pepper and cacao having the largest impact on improving vegetation heterogeneity and microclimate regulation when incorporated into an alley-cropping system. In particular, we found that systems intercropped with black pepper had air and soil surface temperatures up to 1.3 °C and 2.1 °C cooler than those in oil palm monoculture. In contrast, systems intercropped with bactris and bamboo had increased air temperatures. Our findings show that some alley-cropping systems have great potential as a climate-smart practice in sustainable oil palm agriculture. This study also shows that careful selection of crops is important in the planning and management of future alley-cropping system to optimise the ecosystem benefits that can be gained from this management system.

ACS Style

Mohamad Ashraf; Ruzana Sanusi; Raja Zulkifli; Kamil A. Tohiran; Ramle Moslim; Adham Ashton-Butt; Badrul Azhar. Alley-cropping system increases vegetation heterogeneity and moderates extreme microclimates in oil palm plantations. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 2019, 276-277, 107632 .

AMA Style

Mohamad Ashraf, Ruzana Sanusi, Raja Zulkifli, Kamil A. Tohiran, Ramle Moslim, Adham Ashton-Butt, Badrul Azhar. Alley-cropping system increases vegetation heterogeneity and moderates extreme microclimates in oil palm plantations. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 2019; 276-277 ():107632.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mohamad Ashraf; Ruzana Sanusi; Raja Zulkifli; Kamil A. Tohiran; Ramle Moslim; Adham Ashton-Butt; Badrul Azhar. 2019. "Alley-cropping system increases vegetation heterogeneity and moderates extreme microclimates in oil palm plantations." Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 276-277, no. : 107632.

Short communications
Published: 02 June 2019 in Emu - Austral Ornithology
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The expansion of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) cultivation has been recognised as a major threat to tropical biodiversity. Smallholdings, however, unlike large-scale conventional monoculture oil palm plantations, often practice polyculture which may resemble an agroforestry system. These private holdings provide more heterogeneous vegetation which may support greater a greater diversity of birds. This study compared species richness and abundance of birds detected perching in oil palm (both dead and living trees) and seven other planted crop species within oil palm smallholdings. Using transect line surveys, we recorded a total of 816 birds of 39 species from 20 families. Our results indicate that bird species richness and abundance differed significantly between oil palm and the other planted tree species. Non-oil palm trees cumulatively increased bird species richness and abundance. Although birds overall perched more frequently on living oil palm trees (probably reflecting relative abundance), other species including breadfruit, mango, papaya, banana, and coconut, as well as dead trees, were also used. By measuring effect size, we also found that both bird species richness and abundance rely on tree structure and type of tree species. These findings tentatively suggest that providing a larger diversity of tree species within intensively managed oil palm plantations may support a wider variety of local bird species compared to monocultures.

ACS Style

Nurul Atiqah; Muhammad Syafiq Yahya; Siti Aisyah; Adham Ashton-Butt; Badrul Azhar. Birds associated with different tree species and structures in oil palm agroforestry landscapes in Malaysia. Emu - Austral Ornithology 2019, 119, 397 -401.

AMA Style

Nurul Atiqah, Muhammad Syafiq Yahya, Siti Aisyah, Adham Ashton-Butt, Badrul Azhar. Birds associated with different tree species and structures in oil palm agroforestry landscapes in Malaysia. Emu - Austral Ornithology. 2019; 119 (4):397-401.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nurul Atiqah; Muhammad Syafiq Yahya; Siti Aisyah; Adham Ashton-Butt; Badrul Azhar. 2019. "Birds associated with different tree species and structures in oil palm agroforestry landscapes in Malaysia." Emu - Austral Ornithology 119, no. 4: 397-401.

Journal article
Published: 03 April 2019 in Global Ecology and Conservation
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Rapid urban and agricultural expansions are taking place across Peninsular Malaysia resulting in wide spread forest conversion impacting on important conservation areas. Taman Negara National Park is one of the few protected nature reserves remaining largely intact from such anthropogenic threats. In this study we aimed to quantify species richness, and relative abundance and composition of native mammals in lowland and highland forest in Taman Negara National Park. We deployed cameras at 216 sampling plots in the study areas for 14,776 and 6935 trap nights in lowland and highland forest respectively. Our results show that lowland and highland forest have similar species richness, while highland forest has higher mammal abundance, which is likely to be caused by anthropogenic pressures on lowland forest adversely affecting mammal populations. Both forest types have similar mammal species composition. The mammal community includes most of the rare and endangered species in the region, including Malayan pangolin, Asian elephant, tiger, dhole, large-spotted civet, and Asian tapir. The region of the national park that was less likely to be vulnerable to logging, human settlement, agricultural expansion, and poaching (i.e. the Terengganu's sector), had higher mammal species richness, while the Pahang's sector had lower species richness. Mammal species richness increased with proximity to the park boundary and distance from the nearest river but decreased with the increasing number of intruders. This has important implications for management of the edges of protected nature reserves. In the coming decades, the pristine nature of Taman Negara National Park will become highly threatened if anthropogenic activities inside and outside the park are not monitored. It is vital that the responsible agencies tackle these threats through aggressive enforcement and the creation of a robust framework to monitor any land developments that take place in the vicinity of Taman Negara National Park.

ACS Style

Asrulsani Jambari; Selvadurai Sasidhran; Hazril Rafhan Abdul Halim; Khairul Amirin Mohamed; Adham Ashton-Butt; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar. Quantifying species richness and composition of elusive rainforest mammals in Taman Negara National Park, Peninsular Malaysia. Global Ecology and Conservation 2019, 18, e00607 .

AMA Style

Asrulsani Jambari, Selvadurai Sasidhran, Hazril Rafhan Abdul Halim, Khairul Amirin Mohamed, Adham Ashton-Butt, Alex M. Lechner, Badrul Azhar. Quantifying species richness and composition of elusive rainforest mammals in Taman Negara National Park, Peninsular Malaysia. Global Ecology and Conservation. 2019; 18 ():e00607.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Asrulsani Jambari; Selvadurai Sasidhran; Hazril Rafhan Abdul Halim; Khairul Amirin Mohamed; Adham Ashton-Butt; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar. 2019. "Quantifying species richness and composition of elusive rainforest mammals in Taman Negara National Park, Peninsular Malaysia." Global Ecology and Conservation 18, no. : e00607.

Journal article
Published: 29 March 2019 in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
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Oil palm agricultural practices need to be substantially changed in order to meet the global demand for more ethical and sustainable farming. Livestock integration is an innovative method to control understory vegetation in oil palm plantations, while reducing the need for chemical herbicides, as well as providing additional food security, ecosystem services, and habitat heterogeneity. Understory vegetation is important for faunal biodiversity in oil palm plantations, however it is often decimated by the over usage of herbicides. To determine how cattle-grazing affected the growth of understory vegetation, we collected data from 45 plantations, in Peninsular Malaysia, including those integrated with cattle and without them. Our results revealed that the plantations integrated with cattle had on average 20% more undergrowth coverage, but no difference in undergrowth height, therefore, maintaining undergrowth at an acceptable height for harvesters to access oil palms. We recommend cattle-grazing as a method for oil palm stakeholders to maintain manageable undergrowth and align with sustainable palm oil certification policy by reducing their use of chemical herbicides. To promote cattle-oil palm integration, specific policies are needed to strengthen financial and technical support.

ACS Style

Kamil A. Tohiran; Frisco Nobilly; Raja Zulkifli; Adham Ashton-Butt; Badrul Azhar. Cattle-grazing in oil palm plantations sustainably controls understory vegetation. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 2019, 278, 54 -60.

AMA Style

Kamil A. Tohiran, Frisco Nobilly, Raja Zulkifli, Adham Ashton-Butt, Badrul Azhar. Cattle-grazing in oil palm plantations sustainably controls understory vegetation. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 2019; 278 ():54-60.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kamil A. Tohiran; Frisco Nobilly; Raja Zulkifli; Adham Ashton-Butt; Badrul Azhar. 2019. "Cattle-grazing in oil palm plantations sustainably controls understory vegetation." Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 278, no. : 54-60.

Journal article
Published: 18 December 2018 in Mammalian Biology
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Large-scale expansion of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) monocultures across Southeast Asia are creating ecosystems with homogenous habitats with low species diversity. However, heterogeneity varies between oil palm smallholdings and large-scale plantations, with greater habitat heterogeneity found on smallholdings. To date, there has been a paucity of field research on primate species, particularly macaques in oil palm plantations. In this study, we investigate the group size of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in four habitat types: unlogged forest, logged forest, large-scale oil palm plantations, and smallholdings. Field censuses were conducted in 2015 and 2016 to determine the group size of M. fascicularis in large-scale oil palm plantations and oil palm smallholdings. These data from oil palm plantations were compared to surveys conducted on a logged lowland forest reserve and a previous study in an unlogged lowland forest. We found that group size of M. fascicularis in large-scale plantations was lower compared to smallholdings, logged forest and unlogged forest. The chi-square test showed that the age class (juvenile or adult) of M. fascicularis was associated with farming systems. The paper concludes that the expansion of large-scale oil palm monocultures should be limited because of its adverse impacts on biodiversity including common species such as M. fascicularis.

ACS Style

Sze Ling Tee; Ahmad Solihhin; Shahidin A. Juffiry; Tengku Rinalfi Putra; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar; Tee Sze Ling. The effect of oil palm agricultural expansion on group size of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Peninsular Malaysia. Mammalian Biology 2018, 94, 48 -53.

AMA Style

Sze Ling Tee, Ahmad Solihhin, Shahidin A. Juffiry, Tengku Rinalfi Putra, Alex M. Lechner, Badrul Azhar, Tee Sze Ling. The effect of oil palm agricultural expansion on group size of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Peninsular Malaysia. Mammalian Biology. 2018; 94 ():48-53.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sze Ling Tee; Ahmad Solihhin; Shahidin A. Juffiry; Tengku Rinalfi Putra; Alex M. Lechner; Badrul Azhar; Tee Sze Ling. 2018. "The effect of oil palm agricultural expansion on group size of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Peninsular Malaysia." Mammalian Biology 94, no. : 48-53.

Original research
Published: 04 December 2018 in Ecology and Evolution
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Urban expansion has caused major deforestation and forest fragmentation in the tropics. The impacts of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity are understudied in urban forest patches, especially in the tropics and little is known on the conservation value of the patches for maintaining mammalian biodiversity. In this study, camera trapping was used to determine the species composition and species richness of medium‐ and large‐sized mammals in three urban forest patches and a contiguous forest in Peninsular Malaysia. We identified the key vegetation attributes that predicted mammal species richness and occurrence of herbivores and omnivores in urban forest patches. A total number of 19 mammal species from 120 sampling points were recorded. Contiguous forest had the highest number of species compared to the urban forest patches. Sunda Pangolin and Asian Tapir were the only conservation priority species recorded in the urban forest patches and contiguous forest, respectively. Top predators such as Malayan Tiger and Melanistic Leopard were completely absent from the forest patches as well as the contiguous forest. This was reflected by the abundance of wild boars. We found that mammal species richness increased with the number of trees with DBH less than 5 cm, trees with DBH more than 50 cm, and dead standing trees. In the future, the remaining mammal species in the urban forest patches are expected to be locally extinct as connecting the urban forest patches may be infeasible due to land scarcity. Hence, to maintain the ecological integrity of urban forest patches, we recommend that stakeholders take intervention measures such as reintroduction of selected species and restocking of wild populations in the urban forest patches to regenerate the forest ecosystems.

ACS Style

Sze Ling Tee; Liza D. Samantha; Norizah Kamarudin; Zubaid Akbar; Alex M. Lechner; Adham Ashton-Butt; Badrul Azhar. Urban forest fragmentation impoverishes native mammalian biodiversity in the tropics. Ecology and Evolution 2018, 8, 12506 -12521.

AMA Style

Sze Ling Tee, Liza D. Samantha, Norizah Kamarudin, Zubaid Akbar, Alex M. Lechner, Adham Ashton-Butt, Badrul Azhar. Urban forest fragmentation impoverishes native mammalian biodiversity in the tropics. Ecology and Evolution. 2018; 8 (24):12506-12521.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sze Ling Tee; Liza D. Samantha; Norizah Kamarudin; Zubaid Akbar; Alex M. Lechner; Adham Ashton-Butt; Badrul Azhar. 2018. "Urban forest fragmentation impoverishes native mammalian biodiversity in the tropics." Ecology and Evolution 8, no. 24: 12506-12521.

Journal article
Published: 07 September 2018 in Biological Conservation
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Legal and illegal logging is prevalent throughout the tropics, impacting on natural habitat and wildlife. This study aimed to investigate the sensitivity of forest mammals to selective logging in the lowland dipterocarp forests of South-West Peninsular Malaysia and identify the underlying factors that determine species occurrence. A total of 120 camera trap locations were deployed within selectively logged and unlogged forests. We found that unlogged forest had greater wildlife occurrences compared to selectively logged forests, including two endangered mammal species not found in logged forest. Forest vegetation structure characteristics such as the abundance of lianas, large trees, saplings, palms, bamboo and seedlings were associated with mammal species richness. Mammal species richness increased with number of forest trees, particularly those with a DBH of >45 cm, but this was limited to high altitude forest. Worryingly, we did not detect any large mammalian apex predators such as leopards or tigers in either unlogged or selectively logged forests. The absence of these animals may be the result of poaching, habitat degradation or other pressures; these mammals are expected to be present in intact forests in Peninsular Malaysia. Restoring logged forests and preserving the remaining unlogged lowland dipterocarp forests are critically important to safeguard mammalian biodiversity in the region. Besides that, we recommend that conventional logging practices are replaced with reduced impact logging methods.

ACS Style

Jamaluddin Jamhuri; Liza D. Samantha; Sze Ling Tee; Norizah Kamarudin; Adham Ashton-Butt; Akbar Zubaid; Alex Lechner; Badrul Azhar. Selective logging causes the decline of large-sized mammals including those in unlogged patches surrounded by logged and agricultural areas. Biological Conservation 2018, 227, 40 -47.

AMA Style

Jamaluddin Jamhuri, Liza D. Samantha, Sze Ling Tee, Norizah Kamarudin, Adham Ashton-Butt, Akbar Zubaid, Alex Lechner, Badrul Azhar. Selective logging causes the decline of large-sized mammals including those in unlogged patches surrounded by logged and agricultural areas. Biological Conservation. 2018; 227 ():40-47.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jamaluddin Jamhuri; Liza D. Samantha; Sze Ling Tee; Norizah Kamarudin; Adham Ashton-Butt; Akbar Zubaid; Alex Lechner; Badrul Azhar. 2018. "Selective logging causes the decline of large-sized mammals including those in unlogged patches surrounded by logged and agricultural areas." Biological Conservation 227, no. : 40-47.

Original paper
Published: 14 June 2018 in Wetlands Ecology and Management
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Rice fields are common throughout the agricultural landscape of Southeast Asia and sustain various bird species. These birds can provide ecosystem services, such as pest control, that improve agricultural yields whilst minimising the use of agrochemicals. This study quantified avian biodiversity in rice production landscapes during three farming stages in Peninsular Malaysia. In Malaysia, rice fields can be an important habitat for migrating birds due to Malaysia’s position on the East-Asian–Australasian Flyway. We determined bird abundance, species richness, and composition in rice field landscapes and compared these during different stages of rice growing. Wetland and terrestrial birds were counted in rice fields using the point-count method. Sixty sampling points were randomly established in three locations, from which 3447 individual birds of 46 species and 26 families were recorded. There was a significant difference in total bird abundance and species richness between the three different stages of rice growing. The growing stage supported greater bird abundance and species richness compared to the pre-harvest and post-harvest stages. Rice-growing provides temporary habitats to different bird species in this managed aquatic landscape. This implies the presence of abundant food, such as small fish and amphibians. The evidence from this study suggests that biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices should be implemented to improve habitat quality for birds in rice production landscapes.

ACS Style

Nur Amira; Tengku Rinalfi; Badrul Azhar. Effects of intensive rice production practices on avian biodiversity in Southeast Asian managed wetlands. Wetlands Ecology and Management 2018, 26, 865 -877.

AMA Style

Nur Amira, Tengku Rinalfi, Badrul Azhar. Effects of intensive rice production practices on avian biodiversity in Southeast Asian managed wetlands. Wetlands Ecology and Management. 2018; 26 (5):865-877.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nur Amira; Tengku Rinalfi; Badrul Azhar. 2018. "Effects of intensive rice production practices on avian biodiversity in Southeast Asian managed wetlands." Wetlands Ecology and Management 26, no. 5: 865-877.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2018 in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
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ACS Style

Mohamad Ashraf; Raja Zulkifli; Ruzana Sanusi; Kamil A. Tohiran; Razak Terhem; Ramle Moslim; Ahmad R. Norhisham; Adham Ashton-Butt; Badrul Azhar. Alley-cropping system can boost arthropod biodiversity and ecosystem functions in oil palm plantations. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 2018, 260, 19 -26.

AMA Style

Mohamad Ashraf, Raja Zulkifli, Ruzana Sanusi, Kamil A. Tohiran, Razak Terhem, Ramle Moslim, Ahmad R. Norhisham, Adham Ashton-Butt, Badrul Azhar. Alley-cropping system can boost arthropod biodiversity and ecosystem functions in oil palm plantations. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 2018; 260 ():19-26.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mohamad Ashraf; Raja Zulkifli; Ruzana Sanusi; Kamil A. Tohiran; Razak Terhem; Ramle Moslim; Ahmad R. Norhisham; Adham Ashton-Butt; Badrul Azhar. 2018. "Alley-cropping system can boost arthropod biodiversity and ecosystem functions in oil palm plantations." Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 260, no. : 19-26.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2017 in Journal for Nature Conservation
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ACS Style

David Magintan; Shukor Md Nor; Tan Poai Ean; Alex Lechner; Badrul Azhar. The conservation value of unlogged and logged forests for native mammals on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Journal for Nature Conservation 2017, 40, 113 -119.

AMA Style

David Magintan, Shukor Md Nor, Tan Poai Ean, Alex Lechner, Badrul Azhar. The conservation value of unlogged and logged forests for native mammals on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Journal for Nature Conservation. 2017; 40 ():113-119.

Chicago/Turabian Style

David Magintan; Shukor Md Nor; Tan Poai Ean; Alex Lechner; Badrul Azhar. 2017. "The conservation value of unlogged and logged forests for native mammals on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia." Journal for Nature Conservation 40, no. : 113-119.

Review
Published: 01 December 2017 in Journal of Environmental Management
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Most palm oil currently available in global markets is sourced from certified large-scale plantations. Comparatively little is sourced from (typically uncertified) smallholders. We argue that sourcing sustainable palm oil should not be determined by commercial certification alone and that the certification process should be revisited. There are so-far unrecognized benefits of sourcing palm oil from smallholders that should be considered if genuine biodiversity conservation is to be a foundation of 'environmentally sustainable' palm oil production. Despite a lack of certification, smallholder production is often more biodiversity-friendly than certified production from large-scale plantations. Sourcing palm oil from smallholders also alleviates poverty among rural farmers, promoting better conservation outcomes. Yet, certification schemes - the current measure of 'sustainability' - are financially accessible only for large-scale plantations that operate as profit-driven monocultures. Industrial palm oil is expanding rapidly in regions with weak environmental laws and enforcement. This warrants the development of an alternative certification scheme for smallholders. Greater attention should be directed to deforestation-free palm oil production in smallholdings, where production is less likely to cause large scale biodiversity loss. These small-scale farmlands in which palm oil is mixed with other crops should be considered by retailers and consumers who are interested in promoting sustainable palm oil production. Simultaneously, plantation companies should be required to make their existing production landscapes more compatible with enhanced biodiversity conservation.

ACS Style

Badrul Azhar; Norzanalia Saadun; Margi Prideaux; David B. Lindenmayer. The global palm oil sector must change to save biodiversity and improve food security in the tropics. Journal of Environmental Management 2017, 203, 457 -466.

AMA Style

Badrul Azhar, Norzanalia Saadun, Margi Prideaux, David B. Lindenmayer. The global palm oil sector must change to save biodiversity and improve food security in the tropics. Journal of Environmental Management. 2017; 203 ():457-466.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Badrul Azhar; Norzanalia Saadun; Margi Prideaux; David B. Lindenmayer. 2017. "The global palm oil sector must change to save biodiversity and improve food security in the tropics." Journal of Environmental Management 203, no. : 457-466.

Research article
Published: 09 November 2017 in Agronomy for Sustainable Development
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The use of agrochemicals is expected to increase with the global expansion of oil palm plantations. In line with environmentally sustainable palm oil certification, targeted grazing can minimize the dependency on herbicides for controlling weeds in plantations. Here, we show for the first time that targeted grazing would control weeds and improve biodiversity of desired animal species. We sampled birds at 45 oil palm plantations in Peninsular Malaysia that were systematically grazed, non-systematically grazed, or herbicide-controlled plantations without cattle grazing. We found that bird species richness increased with size of grazing area, but decreased with number of cattle. Bird abundance was higher in the systematic grazing system, but negatively related to number of cattle. These factors explained 18.41 and 25.34% of the observed variations in bird species richness and abundance, respectively. Our findings suggest that targeted cattle grazing can be instrumental for transforming conventional oil palm agriculture into more biodiversity-friendly agroecosystems. Targeted grazing is likely to be practical under field conditions in major palm oil producing countries. In addition, the use of targeted grazing as a biological control method for weeds would be welcomed by palm oil consumers and encouraged by sustainable palm oil certification bodies such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

ACS Style

Kamil A. Tohiran; Frisco Nobilly; Raja Zulkifli; Thomas Maxwell; Ramle Moslim; Badrul Azhar. Targeted cattle grazing as an alternative to herbicides for controlling weeds in bird-friendly oil palm plantations. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 2017, 37, 62 .

AMA Style

Kamil A. Tohiran, Frisco Nobilly, Raja Zulkifli, Thomas Maxwell, Ramle Moslim, Badrul Azhar. Targeted cattle grazing as an alternative to herbicides for controlling weeds in bird-friendly oil palm plantations. Agronomy for Sustainable Development. 2017; 37 (6):62.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kamil A. Tohiran; Frisco Nobilly; Raja Zulkifli; Thomas Maxwell; Ramle Moslim; Badrul Azhar. 2017. "Targeted cattle grazing as an alternative to herbicides for controlling weeds in bird-friendly oil palm plantations." Agronomy for Sustainable Development 37, no. 6: 62.