Abstract
Biodiversity loss will likely have surprising and dramatic consequences for human wellbeing. Identifying species that benefit society represents a critical first step towards predicting the consequences of biodiversity loss. Though natural predators prevent billions of dollars in agricultural pest damage annually, characterizing which predators consume pests has proven challenging. Emerging molecular techniques may illuminate these interactions. In the countryside of Costa Rica, we identified avian predators of coffee’s most damaging insect pest, the coffee berry borer beetle (Coleoptera:Scolytidae Hypothenemus hampeii), by assaying 1430 fecal samples of 108 bird species for borer DNA. While feeding trials confirmed the efficacy of our approach, detection rates were low. Nevertheless, we identified six species that consume the borer. These species had narrow diet breadths, thin bills, and short wings; traits shared with borer predators in other systems. Borer predators were not threatened; therefore, safeguarding pest control necessitates managing species beyond those at risk of regional extinction by maintaining populations in farmland habitats. Generally, our results demonstrate potential for pairing molecular methods with ecological analyses to yield novel insights into species interactions.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2193-1801-3-630) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Managing the benefits people receive from nature, or ecosystem services, requires a detailed understanding of ecosystem processes
Study site and sample collection Our investigation centered on coffee plantations in southern Costa Rica, near the Las Cruces Biological Station of the Organization for Tropical Studies
The low detection rates in non-feeding trial birds further reduce the likelihood that positive detections were the result of prior foraging
Summary
Managing the benefits people receive from nature, or ecosystem services, requires a detailed understanding of ecosystem processes. Biodiversity-driven services, such as pest control on farms, requires knowledge of cropping systems, the habitats in and around croplands, and the interactions among the many organisms that inhabit them. Interactions are complex and often change over space and time (Luck et al 2003); a critical first step is identifying the species and populations that provide benefits to society (Kremen 2005). Identifying service providers, may not be straightforward. Predation is rarely witnessed directly, making it difficult to identify the predators of crop pests. Pest control is a critical service; in the United States, insect predators save farmers billions of dollars annually in avoided pest damage (Losey and Vaughan 2006).
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