Shade Coffee Plantations Research Articles

Habitat choice shapes the spring stopover behaviour of a Nearctic-Neotropical migratory songbird

The effect of habitat choice on fuelling behaviour and the organization of migration in birds has rarely been examined, despite the potential impact of widespread anthropogenic transformation of stopover regions. High energetic requirements in migrating birds mean that resource abundance, through its influence on fuel deposition rates (FDR), is expected to be the main determinant of stopover and migration strategy. We examined the spring stopover of Tennessee Warblers (Oreothlypis peregrina) in northern Colombia, evaluating how diet, FDR, stopover duration, departure mass and estimated flight range varied between two commonly used stopover habitats: shade coffee plantations and pre-montane forests. Diet included insects in both habitats, but fruit was only consumed in pre-montane forest, where FDR was highest (FDR forest = 2.4% LBM/day; coffee = 0.5% LBM/day). Three different estimates of stopover duration suggested longer stays in coffee but lengthier durations did not result in equivalent departure mass between habitats, such that estimated flight range was twice as long for birds departing forest (2000 km) relative to coffee (1088 km). We conclude that stopover performance differed between habitats, likely influencing the subsequent temporal and spatial organization of spring migration. On the basis of flight ranges, stopovers in shade coffee may also increase the risks of trans-Caribbean flights, suggesting a mechanism by which stopover habitat could directly influence survival. Given that fruit consumption in forest probably explains these differences, we recommend the identification of appropriate fruiting trees for Neotropical agroforestry systems that can tolerate a variety of conditions and increase the quality of these anthropogenic habitats for migratory and other frugivorous birds.

Conservation of Neotropical migratory birds in tropical hardwood and oil palm plantations.

Tropical forests in the Americas are undergoing rapid conversion to commercial agriculture, and many migratory bird species that use these forests have experienced corresponding populations declines. Conservation research for migratory birds in the tropics has focused overwhelmingly on shade coffee plantations and adjacent forest, but both cover types are now in decline, creating an urgent need to evaluate conservation opportunities in other agricultural systems. Here we compare how a community of 42 Neotropical migratory bird species and a subset of five conservation-priority species differ in usage and habitat associations among a secondary forest baseline and four expanding commercial plantation systems in Guatemala: African oil palm, teak, rubber, and mixed-native hardwoods. We found that mixed-native hardwood plantations supported the highest richness and diversity of all migrants and that the three hardwood plantation types generally outperformed oil palm in richness and diversity metrics. Despite this, oil palm supported high abundance of several common and widespread species also experiencing range-wide population declines and may therefore play an important role in conserving common species. Mature secondary forest hosted low abundance and diversity of the full migratory community, but high abundance and richness of conservation priority migrants along with native hardwood and teak plantations. Likewise, the percentage of forest cover on the landscape was positively associated with priority migrant abundance and richness but negatively associated with the abundance of migrants in general, highlighting how individual species within the broad group of Neotropical migratory landbirds respond differently to anthropogenic changes in land use. Across all cover types, the retention of tall overstory trees increased the abundance, richness, and diversity of all migrants, which indicates that vertical structural diversity and remnant trees are important habitat features for birds in agricultural landscapes. Our findings show that conservation opportunities exist in hardwood and oil palm plantations, though the species likely to benefit from conservation action will vary among plantation types. For the subset of conservation priority migrants, our results suggest that conservation efforts should combine strategies that retain and restore secondary forest, promote the adoption of native hardwood and teak plantations, and promote the retention of tall, remnant trees in agricultural landscapes.

¿Es Oncidium poikilostalix una especie invasora? Ecología poblacional y comportamiento reproductivo de esta orquídea epífita en Chiapas, México

Antecedentes y Objetivos: Las invasiones biológicas se consideran la segunda causa de extinción de especies después de la destrucción del hábitat. Cuando se trabaja con especies con una tendencia expansiva, los estudios de dinámica poblacional son particularmente relevantes. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron: (1) evaluar la ecología poblacional de Oncidium poikilostalix en cafetales de sombra en México, (2) evaluar el comportamiento reproductivo de O. poikilostalix en este hábitat, y (3) determinar si esta orquídea se debe considerar como una especie invasora.Métodos: Durante 2013-2015 se marcaron y midieron la mayoría de los individuos de la población mexicana de O. poikilostalix (localizada al sur del estado de Chiapas). Además, se registraron anualmente la producción de flores y frutos (primera floración y floración repetida), la mortalidad y el reclutamiento de nuevos individuos, y se modeló su distribución potencial.Resultados clave: Dentro de este periodo se observó un incremento poblacional de 1.11%, con un aumento proporcional en el número de flores y frutos. Existe una fuerte correlación entre el área foliar de los individuos, y la producción de espigas (R=0.690, p<0.001) y flores (R=0.775, p<0.001). El número de individuos adultos que tuvieron floración repetida varió de 47.1% en 2013 a 22.5% en 2015. También se encontró correlación entre el área foliar de los individuos y el hecho de que no florezcan, florezcan una vez, o presenten floración repetida (X2=277.65, p<0.001). La población mexicana de O. poikilostalix se localiza en el límite norte de la distribución potencial de esta especie.Conclusiones: Es poco probable que O. poikilostalix sea una especie invasora. A pesar de ser un taxon localmente abundante, con una población aparentemente sana establecida en cafetales tradicionales de sombra, su área de distribución en México aún es restringida, lo que puede representar un grave riesgo para su supervivencia en el país.

A comparative study of ant diversity under three coverages in a Neotropical coffee landscape

The coffee cultivation has displaced natural vegetation and its associated biological diversity. The present study describes the diversity of ground-dwelling ants on eight plantations where coffee is grown in the shade (SHD), eight plantations where coffee is grown under unshaded coffee (SUN) and four patches of forest (FOS) in a coffee-growing region of Colombia. The research was conducted in transects composed of 12 sampling stations, each of which employed active collection, pitfall traps and litter sifting. Nine habitat variables were analyzed to characterize each site, and these values were related to the diversity of ants and functional groups. A total of 92 morphospecies were collected. Myrmicinae was the subfamily with the highest representation. The sample coverage presented a deficit of less than 5 %. The rank abundance curves exhibited differences in the ant assemblages. The ant communities found in the forest exhibited greater diversity and a larger number of exclusive species than the communities found in locations of other land uses; the SHD and SUN communities were characterized by 80.3 % and 62.3 %, respectively, of the diversity found in the forest communities. The functional similarity index as adapted for guilds by Sørensen reveals a high degree of similarity in the structure of their ant communities, but less so in their composition.The shaded coffee plantations have a richer and more equitable ant fauna than the exposed coffee plantations, reinforcing the idea that shade cultivation favors the establishment of ant fauna and, consequently, ecological functionality.

Intensification of Ethiopian coffee agroforestry drives impoverishment of the Arabica coffee flower visiting bee and fly communities

Intensively managed shade coffee plantations are expanding in SW Ethiopia, at the cost of the more natural coffee agroforestry systems. Here, we investigated consequences for the potential pollinator community of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) in its natural range. We surveyed coffee flower visitors at six different sites in the Jimma region in SW Ethiopia, and compared species richness and abundance between semi-natural coffee forests and shaded coffee plantations. Overall, we found six bee (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and twenty fly species (Diptera: Brachycera) visiting C. arabica flowers. Species richness and overall abundance of flower visitors was significantly higher in the semi-natural forests compared to the plantations. A significantly higher abundance of non-Apis bees and hoverflies (Syrphidae) visiting C. arabica flowers was observed in the semi-natural forest plots, but numbers for other Diptera and honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) did not differ significantly between the agroforestry systems. Our results show an impoverishment of the coffee flower visiting insect community in response to agricultural intensification. This suggests a functional shift of the coffee pollinator community and, hence, may influence the stability of the provided pollination ecosystem services and coffee yield in the long term. We did, however, not quantify pollination services in this study.

Resurgence of specialized shade coffee cultivation: Effects on pollination services and quality of coffee production

Since the early 2000s, there has been a resurgence in shade coffee production on the island of Puerto Rico. The newly restored specialized shade canopy consists of four native tree species, three of which are nitrogen fixers, and is intended to provide 30% shade cover once the trees are matured. Though much is known about the benefits of rustic and traditional shade plantations to coffee production, there is little information available for specialized shade plantations. Here, we investigate the ways in which fruit set, seed predation, bean weight, proportion of peaberries (i.e., malformed fruits), and beverage quality differ between sun and specialized shade plantations of Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora. Additionally, to assess whether coffee plants were pollen limited, we conducted a pollen supplementation experiment in which we compared pollen deposition and berry production on hand-pollinated branches to those of naturally, open-pollinated ones. We found that there was no evidence of pollen limitation on fruit set between sun and specialized shade plantations of C. arabica or C. canephora. We found that specialized shade benefits the proportion of C. arabica fruit set, without compromising bean weight or the proportion of peaberries produced. In comparison, C. canephora showed no improvement in the proportion of fruits set with specialized shade; however, beans from open-pollinated flowers weighed more in specialized shade than sun. Beverage quality was marginally better under shade, and for hand-pollinated flowers. Our results add to the limited body of work investigating the benefits of specialized shade coffee plantations on ecosystem services.

Modification of landscape as promoter of change in structure and taxonomic diversity of reptile´s communities: an example in tropical landscape in the central region of Mexico

The degree of species loss was assessed by comparing the structure of communities and species diversity of reptiles from three different environments, one natural (tropical evergreen forest [TEF]) and two modified (shaded coffee plantation [SCP] and grazing area [GA]) from the mid portion of the Sierra Madre Oriental, Mexico. The results showed 29 species, 18 in TEF, 13 in SCP and 12 in GA. According to the abundance of each species, the reptile structure for TEF and SCP was similar and they both differed from GA, while the diversity (effective number of species) was the highest for TEF. The percentage of number of species from TEF accounted for 28% more species than SCP and GA, which indicated a species loss of about 70% in disturbed environments. The values of beta diversity were the highest between TEF and GA, followed by SCP and GA and to a lesser degree between TEF and SCP, which indicates that TEF showed a high number of exclusive species. Our results suggest that carrying out long-term studies that include richness and diversity in environments with different levels of disturbance, in addition to including characteristics of natural history, might enhance the development of more efficient conservation strategies for these species.

Heard but not seen: Comparing bat assemblages and study methods in a mosaic landscape in the Western Ghats of India.

We used capture (mist‐netting) and acoustic methods to compare the species richness, abundance, and composition of a bat assemblage in different habitats in the Western Ghats of India. In the tropics, catching bats has been more commonly used as a survey method than acoustic recordings. In our study, acoustic methods based on recording echolocation calls detected greater bat activity and more species than mist‐netting. However, some species were detected more frequently or exclusively by capture. Ideally, the two methods should be used together to compensate for the biases in each. Using combined capture and acoustic data, we found that protected forests, forest fragments, and shade coffee plantations hosted similar and diverse species assemblages, although some species were recorded more frequently in protected forests. Tea plantations contained very few species from the overall bat assemblage. In riparian habitats, a strip of forested habitat on the river bank improved the habitat for bats compared to rivers with tea planted up to each bank. Our results show that shade coffee plantations are better bat habitat than tea plantations in biodiversity hotspots. However, if tea is to be the dominant land use, forest fragments and riparian corridors can improve the landscape considerably for bats. We encourage coffee growers to retain traditional plantations with mature native trees, rather than reverting to sun grown coffee or coffee shaded by a few species of timber trees.

Comparison of transient and asymptotic perturbation analyses of three epiphytic orchid species growing in coffee plantations in Mexico: effect on conservation decisions

ABSTRACTBackground: Epiphyte removal forms part of routine management in shade coffee plantations.Aims: Assess the current status of three population orchids growing in Mexican shaded coffee plantations and evaluate the effect of perturbing the transient behaviour of different life stages.Methods: We modelled the short-term response of eliminating I) non-reproductive juveniles, or II) reproductive adult plants from coffee bushes, on populations of Oncidium poikilostalix, Lepanthes acuminata and Telipogon helleri (Orchidaceae). First, we calculated the transient dynamics per se and second, we made a perturbation analysis on population inertia. Finally, we made a comparison with a traditional sensitivity analysis.Results: All three species showed different positive asymptotic growth rate: O. poikilostalix (λmax = 1.106), L. acuminata (λmax = 1.209), and T. helleri (λmax = 1.012). The effect of eliminating the major part of the juvenile or adult orchids gave population inertia in relation to steady state, respectively, (+19%, -24%) for O. poikilostalix, (+17%, -28%) for T. helleri and (+57%, -35%) for L. acuminata.Conclusions: Eliminating juveniles or adults affects in different ways the short-term dynamics due to differential impact on size stages that have the non-linear effects associated with important disturbances that currently affect orchids growing in coffee plantations.

Where are the birds in the matrix? Avian diversity in a Neotropical landscape mosaic

ABSTRACT Studying the anthropogenic components of landscapes can provide a solid groundwork to better understand ecological patterns and processes. In this study, we assessed bird species richness and composition in 5 different environmental conditions (well-preserved cloud forest, peri-urban forest, urban greenspace, shade coffee plantation, and cattle ranch) embedded in a landscape whose original vegetation was tropical montane cloud forest. Our results showed that the most similar vegetation structure and physiognomy were peri-urban forest and shade coffee plantation, with urban greenspaces comprising a highly different condition. Regarding species richness, we found no differences for the nonbreeding season (average values 32.9–41.8), but we did find statistical differences for the breeding season (average values 24.5–43.7); highest species richness was recorded for well-preserved cloud forest (43.7 calculated species), which was significantly different from shade coffee plantation (lowest species ric...

Índice de intensificación agrícola y conservación vegetal en bosques y cafetales colombianos con diferentes estrategias de manejo

Los bosques húmedos premontanos (bh-pm) presentan alto grado de deterioro por efecto de la intervención antrópica, principalmente por actividades agrícolas y ganaderas. Dada la pérdida de conectividad en estos paisajes fragmentados, es prioritario estudiar la contribución de agroecosistemas cafeteros a la diversidad regional. Este estudio evaluó la diversidad florística de cafetales y estimó del índice de intensificación agrícola (IA) en dos estrategias agronómicas de café y en bosques en La Meseta de Popayán, Cauca, Colombia, en altitudes entre 1600 y 1750 m. Se midieron 13 variables de la vegetación tales como riqueza, densidad y estructura arbórea en 20 sitios de muestreo: ocho cafetales a plena exposición, ocho con sombrío y cuatro bosques de referencia. Se determinó que la diversidad florística disminuyó en función del IA, donde las variables relacionadas al componente arbóreo y epífito fueron las que más aportaron a la medición de la IA. La composición arbórea estuvo conformada principalmente por especies pioneras que son relevantes en la conservación y restauración regional. Se concluye que el IA aplicado a estos agroecosistemas ayuda a medir el grado de intervención antrópica; que los cafetales con sombra y parches de bosque son fuente de biodiversidad vegetal, de hábitat y de conectividad entre los paisajes Andinos fragmentados; y que la aplicación del IA en cafetales resulta en una herramienta útil para examinar hipótesis sobre sostenibilidad y conservación.

Soil Organic Carbon Storage, <i>N</i> Stock and Base Cations of Shade Coffee, Khat and Sugarcane for Andisols in South Ethiopia

In the Wondo Genet, Ethiopia, the common agricultural land uses include maize, shade coffee, khat and sugarcane. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of perennial land uses on soil organic carbon (SOC), soil N and base cations. Four sites having maize and one or two of perennial land uses and with similar site characteristics were identified for this study. Soils (0 - 30 cm) were sampled at corners of a plot (20 × 20 m2) placed in each land use at each site. Results indicated that the SOC storage of the shade coffee plantations were 86% and 125% higher compared with adjacent maize land uses with the absolute differences being 50.7 and 54.4 Mg&#183ha-1, respectively. The soil N stock was 109% and 126% higher for the shade coffee than the maize land use while the absolute differences were 5.7 and 4.7 Mg&#183ha-1 for the same sites. Among perennials, the higher SOC storage in the shade coffee is attributable to the increased litter input and reduced soil disturbance in the system. While the higher soil N in the shade coffee was attributed to reduction of leaching, N uplift, and the increased litter quality and input. The high relative increase in shade coffee in SOC and soil N at Finance site was ascribed to the finer soil texture and low SOC and soil N at the compared adjacent maize farm. Although not significant, the relative increase in SOC (34%) and soil N (43%) in the sugarcane at the Finance as well as the relative increase in SOC (7%) and soil N (9%) in khat at Gotu as compared to Chaffee site was attributed to mainly the management differences. The shade coffee has the greatest potential for SOC storage and for increasing N stock, while khat and sugarcane have the least potential.

Tree Diversity and Uses in Coffee Plantations of a Mixe Community in Oaxaca, Mexico

Indigenous communities manage shaded coffee (Coffea arabica) plantations by applying traditional practices which promote and conserve forest structure and tree diversity while providing a wide variety of environmental services, as well as social and cultural functions. We studied coffee production by a Mixe indigenous community in the Mixe mountains region of Oaxaca, Mexico, to identify the relationship between traditional management of coffee plantations and tree diversity conservation through the analysis of forest structure, richness, composition, and tree uses. A total of 85 tree species were recorded in three classified coffee production areas, the majority of which were natives. Seven species use categories were identified. The results demonstrate variations in coffee plantation structure according to topographic conditions, distance to the community, and management practices. Norms, traditions, and customs of the community guide coffee plantation management. The tree diversity registered in coffee plantations and in uncultivated medium tropical deciduous forest contributes to the maintenance of forest diversity. Thus, traditional coffee management promotes biodiversity conservation. In this particular case, the local community conserves medium tropical deciduous forest within its coffee plantations.

Efeitos da distribuição de árvores sobre atributos do solo em cafeeiro sombreado

Objetivou-se com esse trabalho avaliar o efeito da distribuição espacial de árvores (Anadenanthera falcata, Albizia polycephala e Cassia grandis) em cultivo de cafeeiro sombreado (Coffea arabica cv. Obatâ), sobre a resistência mecânica, umidade e propriedades químicas do solo. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições, em esquema fatorial 4x2. O primeiro fator foi a localização dos pontos de amostragem do solo no cafezal sombreado, determinados por dois pontos na mesma linha de plantio das árvores (D1L - um metro de distância do tronco da árvore e D6L - seis metros de distância do tronco da árvore) e dois pontos paralelos a esses localizados na entrelinha de plantio das árvores (D1E e D6E). O segundo fator foi a profundidade de coleta do solo: 0,0-0,20 m e 0,20-0,40 m. As maiores resistências mecânicas do solo à penetração foram observadas nos pontos D1L e D1E, com 8,89 Mpa e 6,55 Mpa, respectivamente. O menor valor de pH (4,62) e o maior teor de alumínio no solo (4,95 mmolc dm-³) foram encontrados na linha de plantio das árvores, no ponto D1L. A distribuição espacial das árvores não alterou a umidade do solo, variando entre 0,11 e 0,14 kg kg-1e os teores de matéria orgânica, fósforo, potássio, cálcio e magnésio, os quais se mantiveram dentro das faixas consideradas adequadas para o cultivo do cafeeiro. Conclui-se que as árvores avaliadas elevam a resistência do solo à penetração e provavelmente exercem maior competição por nutrientes com o cafeeiro, aumentando o pH e os teores de Al do solo, quando localizadas no ponto D1L, possivelmente, em função da distribuição e concentração das raízes das mesmas. Contudo, a distribuição das árvores não influenciou a umidade e os teores de matéria orgânica, P, K e Ca do solo.

Epizoic Fauna Survey on Phyllostomid Bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in a Shaded Coffee Plantation of Southeastern Chiapas, Mexico.

This is the first complete assessment of the ectoparasite fauna on phyllostomid bats in a shaded coffee plantation in Mexico. The study was carried out at Finca San Carlos, in the municipality of Tapachula, southeastern Chiapas, Mexico. The bats were captured over three consecutive nights every month, from December 2005 to November 2006, using four mist nets. We captured 192 phyllostomid bats, representing 18 species, upon which 1,971 ectoparasites, belonging to 11 families and 65 species, were found. We found that 160 of the 192 captured bats were hosts to ectoparasites, giving an infestation prevalence of 83.3%. Of the 65 ectoparasitic species, 14 were classified as monoxenous and 17 as stenoxenous. More ectoparasites were recorded in the dry season (n = 1,439) than the wet season (n = 532), and we recorded some families of ectoparasite on particular areas of the bat body. An ordination of bat species, based on their ectoparasitic species community structure, formed groups at the subfamily level or lower taxonomic categories. We suggest that the close ectoparasite-host relationships could be examined as an additional tool to elucidate the taxonomic relationships between the hosts.

Conservation status assessment of the Sharp-shinned Hawk, an endangered insular raptor in Puerto Rico

Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus) are forest raptors that are widely distributed in the Americas. A subspecies endemic to Puerto Rico (A. s. venator) is listed as endangered and restricted to mature and old secondary montane forests and shade coffee plantations. However, recent information about the population status and distribution of Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawks is lacking. We developed a spatial geographic distribution model for Sharp-shinned Hawks in Puerto Rico from 33 locations collected during four breeding seasons (2013–2016) using biologically relevant landscape variables (aspect, canopy closure, elevation, rainfall, slope, and terrain roughness). Elevation accounted for 89.8% of the model fit and predicted that the greatest probability of occurrence of Sharp-shinned Hawks in Puerto Rico (> 60%) was at elevations above 900 m. Based on our model, an estimated 56.1 km2 of habitat exists in Puerto Rico with a high probability of occurrence. This total represents ~0.6% of the island's area. Public lands included 43.8% of habitat with high probability of occurrence (24.6 km2), 96% of which was located within four protected areas. Our results suggest that Sharp-shinned Hawks are rare in Puerto Rico and restricted to the higher elevations of the Cordillera Central. Additional research is needed to identify and address ecological limiting factors, and recovery actions are needed to avoid the extinction of this endemic island raptor.

Diversidad de mariposas diurnas (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) asociadas a un agroecosistema cafetero de sombra (Curití, Santander)

Los cultivos de café de sombra generan ambientes similares a los ecosistemas de montaña en comparación con los monocultivos de café expuestos al sol. Aunque las mariposas se consideran bioindicadoras del estado de salud del ecosistema se desconoce su diversidad en sistemas cafeteros de Santander, donde el café se siembra exclusivamente bajo sombra. Se describe la estructura y composición del ensamblaje de mariposas (Papilionoidea) en un cafetal con sombrío (hacienda La Capellanía, Curití, Santander) a 1.756 m (agosto-septiembre, 2014). En tres transectos paralelos de 50 m dentro del cultivo se ubicaron nueve trampas Van Someren-Rydon cebadas con fruta descompuesta, y especímenes adicionales fueron capturados con red entomológica. La representatividad del muestreo (Ecuación de Clench) fue 81,67 %. Se capturaron 341 individuos de 49 especies de las familias Nymphalidae (S = 39), Pieridae (S = 7), Papilionidae (S = 2) y Lycaenidae (S = 1). Las especies más abundantes fueron Cissia pompilia, Graphita griphe y Hermeuptychia harmonia. Se describió la riqueza (α =16), dominancia (D = 0,07), equidad (J´= 0,81) y los números efectivos de especies (°D = 58,8, 1D= 23,73 y 2D = 14,2 6). Se relacionó la estructura vegetal con la composición de mariposas (análisis de correspondencia canónica). El porcentaje de cobertura arbórea, la altura, el DAP y la cantidad de los árboles explicaron significativamente la abundancia de mariposas. Este estudio es de los pioneros en describir la diversidad de mariposas en cafetales con sombrío del departamento del Santander. Los agroecosistemas cafeterosde sombra tradicional pueden beneficiar la diversidad de mariposas, debido a que la heterogeneidad de su estructura vegetal ofrece mayor disponibilidad de recursos y refugio.

Do agricultural zones on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, host native and endemic arthropods?

Abstract. The insect fauna of the Galapagos Islands is considered among the most pristine in the world and is well-studied in the preserved areas. However, introduced species are numerous and damaging, particularly in disturbed areas such as agricultural zones. In this study, we examined the arthropod diversity in two agricultural sites on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos; a shaded mixed coffee plantation and an abandoned avocado plantation. We combined three sampling techniques to obtain a detailed picture of the invertebrate fauna in the leaf litter and in the lower arbustive zone. We then compared the two sites to assess the variation in arthropod fauna depending on the degree of disturbance. During the study, we collected individuals belonging to 96 taxa within the classes Arachnida, Insecta, Malacostracea and Diplopoda. More than half of the species were either endemic or native, but introduced species constituted the great majority (83.5%) of the sampled specimens. The invasive fire ant Solenopsis gemin...

Impact of different shade coffee management scenarios, on a population of Oncidium poikilostalix (Orchidaceae), in Soconusco, Chiapas, Mexico

Background: Understanding the effect of perturbation, be it natural or anthropogenic, on the demography and dynamics of the plant populations can help conservation management planning.Aims: We assessed the impacts of management of a shade coffee plantation on a population of Oncidium poikilostalix (Orchidaceae).Methods: We studied in a coffee (Coffea arabica) agroecosystem the impact of the current traditional management [T] and two hypothetical epiphyte control management scenarios (intense ‘desmusgue’ [ID] and moderate ‘desmusgue’ [MD]), on the only known Mexican population of O. poikilostalix. Based on 3 years of field demographics data, the population dynamics of the orchid were projected using T, ID and MD scenarios for 20 years into the future.Results: Under the current management T, the population of O. poikilostalix was projected to grow continuously (λ = 1.102). Conversely, under management ID, the loss of individuals would lead to a sustained population decline (λ = 0.843); in the case of MD, the population would decline more slowly with the population growth rate tending towards equilibrium (λ = 0.966).Conclusions: The changes in the management of coffee plantations that have become common throughout the south-east of Mexico represent a threat to the survival of the only population of O. poikilostalix in Mexico, and likely threaten other epiphytic species.

Biodiversity inventory of trees in a neotropical secondary forest after abandonment of shaded coffee plantation

Abstract: Tree structure and diversity of a secondary Atlantic Forest resulting from the abandonment (ca. 70 years) of a shaded coffee (Coffea arabica) plantation was studied in southeastern Brazil. All trees with DBH ≥ 5 cm (alive and dead) were measured in 25 plots of 20 × 20 m. Out of the 1926 sampled trees, 1837 were living trees belonging to 116 species. The most important species (importance value - IV) in the community were Euterpe edulis (22.9% - present in all plots) and Piptadenia gonoacantha (16.5%). Euterpe edulis is a typical palm tree of high importance value in mature forests, comprising 41.2% of individuals. The results show a more mature tree community in relation to other secondary forests with the same abandonment period in the region, with high richness and diversity of species, high basal area, and low dead tree density. In addition, several endangered species were recorded with high conservation value for the regional flora. The results also showed many typical characteristics of “novel ecosystems” discussed here in order to value these environments, still neglected due to strong environmental human alterations.