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

Data comprise sunflower seed predation rates (i.e. number of seeds remaining) after 24 hours under different treatments in eighteen experimental plots plots established in 2013 as part of the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture (BEFTA) programme. 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 were replanted in 2014. Plots were organised in triplets and 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 project 'Managing tropical agricultural ecosystems for resistance and recovery of ecosystem processes' was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council under NE/P00458X/1. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/1256d475-f321-4a9b-b4ed-927e5b825d3f

Data comprise mealworm predation rates measured after 24 hours exposure to invertebrates in mature oil palm (2014), 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). 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 dataset only) were replanted in 2014. Plots were organised in triplets and in 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. Freshly-killed mealworms (larvae of darkling beetles, Tenebrionidae sp.) were glued onto oil palm fronds trimmed so that ca. 10 cm of each of six leaflets remained. Exclusion and stratum treatments in factorial combinations were applied: caged and uncaged, canopy and ground. The cage exclusion treatments were designed so that most invertebrates could access the fronds but vertebrates could not. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/03d36ac4-4cf4-46d9-a608-866ba0aab458

Data comprise weight (grams) of dried oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) frond litter remaining in a variety of litter bags after 10, 30, 60 and 90 days buried under the litter layer in oil palm plantations located in Riau Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. The bags all initially contained four grams of dried oil palm frond cut into 2 cm sections and the bags were oven-dried at 70oC to a constant weight. The plantations consisted of mature oil palm (data from 2014), and mature and replanted oil palm (data from 2016-2017) plots which are part of a large-scale ecological experiment programme (the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture project, established in 2013). 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 dataset only) were replanted in 2014. Plots were organised in triplets and 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. There were three types of litter bags: fine mesh, 2mm mesh, and fine mesh with four 1 cm holes. Decomposition was measured six times from 2013 to 2017, including a reduced protocol in May 2016 at the peak of an El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) related drought. The project 'Managing tropical agricultural ecosystems for resistance and recovery of ecosystem processes' was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council under NE/P00458X/1. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/592051e6-016f-49c6-9ef9-799a0f842100