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Beginning: Oil palm cut

1) Beginning of the experiment´s establishment: The first oil palm was cut. To enhance light availability for the planted trees, canopy density of the oil palms was reduced by 40%.
2) Happy B11 PhD-students: The experiment is about to start.

1) Many helping hands were needed to dig the 6354 holes.
2) All in all, 24 people were involved. Within three days, all trees were planted.
3) Inorganic and organic fertilizer were added in the 30x30x30 cm pit.
4) Just planted: Young Jengkol seedlings (Archidendron pauciflorum, Fabaceae).

1) One of the most important timber species: Meranti tembaga (Shorea leprosula, Dipterocarpaceae).
2) A young Durian tree (Durio zibethinus, Malvaceae). The large fruit (up to 25 cm long) is appreciated, yet also dreaded, due to its very intensive smell.
3) Already more than 1.50 m tall: A Jengkol tree (Archidendron pauciflorum, Fabaceae). Like Petai, it is able to fix nitrogen and its bitter seeds are a popular delicacy.
4) Five months after planting: This Petai tree (Parkia speciosa, Fabaceae) is one of the tallest saplings. Their bitter seeds are a famous dish in Indonesia. Due to its nitrogen fixing capacity, it could improve the nutrient supply in the oil palm plantation.
5) A young Jelutung tree (Dyera polyphylla, Apocynaceae). Both wood and latex (as a rubber substitute) are used on the local scale.
6) Sungkai (Peronema canescens, Verbenaceae) is, mostly at the local scale, used as timber. Here in a monocultural 40x40m plot, five months after plot establishment.

1) A new CRC 990 project house was built close to the experimental site.
2) Monitoring seed rain: A seed trap in a plot with all six species.
3) Herbicide treatment in the oil palm plantation matrix vs. no treatment in the 5x5 m plot.
4) Herbicide treatment in the oil palm plantation matrix vs. no treatment in the Sungkai plot.