Rainforest transformation reallocates energy from green to brown food webs. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38355803/)

These scientists wanted to understand how different animals in the rainforest and in plantations use energy to survive. They looked at the animals living in the trees and on the ground, as well as those living underground like earthworms and soil insects.

They studied rainforests and plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia, to see how energy flows through the different animal groups. They found that in the rainforest, most of the energy goes to the animals living underground. In the plantations, like oil palm and rubber plantations, the energy flow was different, with more energy going to earthworms.

They discovered that when the land is changed from a rainforest to a plantation, the way energy is used by the animals changes a lot. The energy flow above the ground decreases, while the energy flow below the ground changes from slow to fast channels. This can affect the soil and the environment.

Overall, they found that when the land is changed, the animals in the ecosystem have to adapt to new ways of getting energy, and this can have a big impact on the whole ecosystem.

Potapov AM., Drescher J., Darras K., Wenzel A., Janotta N., Nazarreta R., Kasmiatun., Laurent V., Mawan A., Utari EH., Pollierer MM., Rembold K., Widyastuti R., Buchori D., Hidayat P., Turner E., Grass I., Westphal C., Tscharntke T., Scheu S. Rainforest transformation reallocates energy from green to brown food webs. Nature. 2024 Feb 14. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07083-y.