Palm frond damage from herbivory in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture (BEFTA) plots, Kandista and Ujun Tanjung estates, Indonesia

Data comprise counts of damage to palm fronds in mature oil palm (2013-2015), and mature and replanted oil palm (2016-2017) plots as part of a large-scale ecological experiment programme (the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture project, established in 2013). Herbivory was measured 17 times in total (every 3-4 months) between April 2013 and August 2017. Eighteen plots were examined across three estates – plots in Ujung Tanjung and Kandista estates were planted in 1987 to 1992 and are mature or over-mature oil palm, while Libo plots (2016-2017 data only) were replanted in 2014. Plots were organised in triplets; in Ujung Tanjung and Kandista, for each triplet one plot was assigned to each of three vegetation treatments: Reduced vegetation cover, normal vegetation management and enhanced vegetation cover. The data contain damage estimated in three ways: by eye for the whole crown, by eye for the 17th frond, and by image processing for 20 leaflets of the 17th frond. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/c2fbd22c-1ce9-4435-b4b0-e333addef346