Kuala lumpur: Bats will be used as bioindicators in a new study to help researchers assess biodiversity levels in oil palm landscapes, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, MPOGCF announced that the two-year study, funded with RM190,000 by the foundation, is being conducted in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). The study is led by UNIMAS Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation (IBEC) director Prof Ts Dr Mohd Azlan Jayasilan Abdul Gulam Azad. It will examine how wildlife diversity and activity change across forest areas, forest-plantation boundaries, and oil palm areas located further away from forests.
MPOGCF explained that bats were selected as bioindicators because they are highly sensitive to environmental changes, including habitat structure, food availability, and levels of disturbance. The presence patterns, species diversity, and activity of bats can therefore provide an indication of the ecological condition of a landscape. The study, titled 'Assessing Multiple Functional Habitats in Forest Patch - Oil Palm Interfaces Using Bat Sampling in WILMAR Plantation,' will be carried out at six oil palm plantations owned by PPB Oil Palms Berhad, Wilmar in Miri, Sarawak, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
MPOGCF stated that the study would not only record bat species found in the areas but also produce scientific evidence to help the palm oil industry understand how oil palm landscape management can support biodiversity and habitat functions. The findings are also expected to identify differences in biodiversity value between forests, forest-plantation transition areas, and oil palm plantations, helping industry players make more evidence-based conservation decisions.
The collaboration was formalized through the exchange of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between MPOGCF general manager Hairulazim Mahmud and UNIMAS deputy vice-chancellor (Research and Innovation) Prof Ir Dr Siti Noor Linda Taib, witnessed by MPOGCF Board of Trustees member Dr Ramle Moslim at the university's main campus in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak on Aug 13. Also present were acting deputy director-general (Research and Development) Dr Mohd Hefni Rusli, CPOPC strategic and policy director Dr Chandran Gunalan, and MPOB Biology and Sustainability Research Division director Dr Meilina Ong Abdullah.
MPOGCF expressed confidence that the study's findings would provide a stronger scientific foundation for Malaysia's oil palm industry to plan and enhance biodiversity conservation efforts, particularly in areas where forest habitats meet oil palm landscapes.