The ecological implications of rubber-based agroforest: insect conservation and invasion control

1. Protected areas are increasingly threatened by biological invasions, especially in Tropical Asia where extensive areas of natural habitats have been converted to monoculture plantations. Such disturbance provides a gateway for exotic species invasions, highlighting an urgent need for cross-boundary solutions to mitigate invasion impacts. 2. Agroforests, with multi-storied trees and crops resembling the complex structure of natural forest, are well-known to promote native species compared to monoculture plantations. Yet our knowledge on their roles in controlling exotic species is limited to plant invaders, with effects on animal invaders still unknown. Given that protected areas are increasingly threatened by invaders from surrounding plantations, with a majority of them represented by insects, it is important to evaluate the effect of agroforestry practice, and mechanisms of associated management to control invasions. 3. By using both taxonomic and functional trait-based approaches,...