Summary:

This project will collect baseline ecological data to record the response of a degraded tropical forest in the Bornean highlands to the introduction of an agroforestry system. The highlands were returned to indigenous (Kadazan) people in Malaysian Borneo following two clear-cuttings over the last century; and the agroforestry system is designed to restore the forest canopy. 11 undergraduate and 2 MS students from underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines will collect data in paid 8-week summer ecological field research experiences. Data include soil properties (organic matter, chemical content, pH, water holding capacity, fungi-to-bacteria ratio), arthropod diversity (beetles, ants, and butterflies) and fructivorous and insectivorous bat communities. These observations will record ecological changes at producer sites. Outcomes will be compared to sites at the same elevation in an adjacent and protected national forest range for ecological benchmarking. Benchmarking serves to help qualify agroforestry practices for international ‘green product labeling,’ which would substantially elevate producer incomes. Results will improve scientific understanding of the linkages among ecological communities in tropical forests from soil to canopy; and, finally, students will gain professional experience in designing ecological field experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating results to stakeholders from different cultures and academics at professional conferences.