Rubber Agroforests

Rubber agroforests are a major part of the landscape in Sumatra and these harbor a large share of the original forest plant and animal species of lowland Sumatra. There is a
continuum of management intensities affecting species richness [monoculture rubber (MR), simple rubber agroforests (SRA) and complex rubber agroforests (CRA) or “jungle rubber” that resemble forests). Efforts are underway to get market recognition for the forest-like production conditions through eco-certification. Any form of certification, however, requires a clear operational definition of species-rich rubber agroforest. Using available data, we aim to provide quantitative criteria that are:
• easy to understand
• easy to measure
• reliable