Oil palm is grown in both large-scale industrial and small-scale plantations, with smallholders

producing around 40% of the palm oil in Indonesia and Malaysia, the two highest producers in the
world. Because oil palm cultivation devastates some of the most biodiverse and carbon-rich habitats
on earth, the expansion of the crop incurs high environmental costs. With the presence of oil palm
certification schemes, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), Indonesia Sustainable
Palm Oil (ISPO) and Malaysia Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO), there is considerable scope for influencing
management practices within plantations in large estates and reducing environmental impacts.
The project will be focusing in river area and riparian habitats. This project follows-on from
previous work carried out on plasma smallholders' gardens in partnership with from Sinar Mas Agro
Resources and Technology Research Institute to observe the diversity of insects within plasma
plantations, conduct interviews with farmers regarding plantation management, and take greenhouse
gas samples.
Applications are invited for a postdoctoral researcher to join a collaborative project between
IPB University and the University of Cambridge. The Post Doctoral Research Associate will be
supervised by Professors from IPB University Bogor, Indonesia, and will collaborate with Professors
from the University of Cambridge, University of Nottingham, and experienced researchers from Sinar
Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI).
The successful applicant will work with SMARTRI staff and other project partners to monitor
and quantify the environmental impacts of alternative river margin management practices in both
smallholder and industrial oil palm estates in Riau, Indonesia. The work will be based in IPB-Bogor and
also within the well-established Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture (BEFTA)
Research Programme as well as a network of smallholder oil palm farmers based around Kandis in
Riau, Indonesia. This programme includes a large-scale, long-term riparian restoration experiment –
the Riparian Ecosystem Restoration in Tropical Agriculture (RERTA) Project - within industrial oil palm
plantations, plus established links with a range of smallholder oil palm growers.
 Methods will include collection and analysis of new field data from
RERTA and smallholder sites, comparison with pre-collected data, and also
liaison with other collaborators to use satellite-derived land cover and
topography maps and industry data to map findings over larger scales.
Impacts assessed will include measures of water quality and sediment load,
microclimatic conditions, biodiversity of selected target groups, pest control
and herbivory, soil processes, and yield. A key part of the project will include
communicating results effectively to oil palm managers, including
smallholders, by working with the SMARTRI team, as well as to oil palm
sustainability certification schemes, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable
Palm Oil (RSPO).

The successful applicant will have experience of ecological and

entomological fieldwork, - preferably including social survey work with
rural stakeholders-, and have good communication and writing skills.
He/she should have good analytical skills (preferably able to use R-Stats).
The position will be for 12 months. Informal enquires are welcomed