Landscape ecological approach in oil palm land use planning and management for forest conservation in Malaysia

Abstract

Oil palm industry is one of the major revenue for economic development in Malaysia. Oil palm was introduced to Malaysia in 1911 and the first commercial planting began in 1917. Since then and combined with increasing demand of its product both at the local and international market, areas planted with oil palm has been expanded throughout the nation. In 2004, oil palm plantation covered approximately 9.9% of the total Malaysian land area. However, its expansion has been recognised intrude into forested areas. This situation has been debated as one of the major international issues that cause forest degradation and loss of biodiversity. To balance between economic importance and conservation of forested areas a practical approach in planning and managing oil palm land use is necessary. Landscape ecological approach is an emerging pathway to achieve the goal and increasingly recognised as tool in various aspects of planning and managing land use. In this chapter, the land use changes of this premier man-influenced area in Malaysia will be analysed. How landscape ecology concepts can be integratedinto planning and managing oil palm land use for forest conservation in Malaysia will be discussed. © 2007 Springer Netherlands.