Integrating soil and water conservation techniques in oil palm plantation management: A review of evidence-informed practices

Soil and water conservation has been increasingly recognised as an essential element of sustainable oil palm plantation management in high-rainfall, complex topography erosion-prone soils landscapes. While considerable research has assessed individual conservation measures, evidence remains mixed across study design, spatial scale and environmental context with few broad syntheses focused on how measures work in concert within functional plantation systems. This review advances existing knowledge by synthesising recent empirical evidence to clarify how structural, vegetative, and landscape-level conservation practices operate across spatial scales and under different environmental conditions. A qualitative systematic literature review following the PRISMA framework analysed ۳۶ peer-reviewed studies published between ۲۰۲۰ and ۲۰۲۵. Five thematic clusters were identified: erosion control, hydrological regulation, groundcover and organic matter management, landscape-level planning, and integrated agronomic and environmental impacts. Within diverse contexts, structural, vegetative, and landscape-level measures are often linked to soil stabilization and runoff mitigation benefits; however responses differ by site/ design. The synthesis emphasizes that methodological variations, site conditions and the necessity for maintenance substantially impact effectiveness as reported. By elucidating cross-scale interactions and implementation challenges, this review provides policy- and practice-relevant insights for developing tiered conservation planning strategies and evidence-informed best management practices within oil palm plantation systems.

کلیدواژه ها:

Oil Palm ، Soil Conservation ، Water management ، Sustainable Practices ، Systematic review