A new study suggests that oil palm may be impacting on local livelihoods by degrading water quality.

Mongabay.com reports on research conducted by scientists in the US and Indonesia that found streams flowing through oil palm plantations were hotter, dirtier and consumed more oxygen compared to other areas such as agroforests.

"Our results suggest that oil palm land use may have greater effects on stream temperature and sediment than mixed shifting agriculture and agroforest," says lead author, Kim Carlson of the University of Minnesota. She adds that converting logged forests and diverse smallholder agricultural lands to oil palm plantations may be almost as harmful to stream ecosystems as clearing intact forests.

Such long-term changes to stream ecosystems could have serious impact on local communities who depend on streams as a source of water and fish.

Carlson believes the research findings raise issues that are important for programs that aim to intensify agriculture, while protecting dense forests.

Read the full story: Oil palm plantations degrade local water quality relative to community forests

Download the publication (with subscription):

Carlson, K. M., L. M. Curran, A. G. Ponette- González, D. Ratnasari, Ruspita, N. Lisnawati, Y. Purwanto, K. A. Brauman, and P. A. Raymond (2014), Influence of watershed-climate interactions on stream temperature, sediment yield, and metabolism along a land use intensity gradient in Indonesian Borneo, J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosci., 119, doi:10.1002/ 2013JG002516.