Conservation Value of Cacao Agroforestry Systems for Terrestrial Herbaceous Species in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Cicuzza, Daniele; Kessler, Michael; Clough, Yann; Pitopang, Ramadhanil; Leitner, Daniela; Tjitrosoedirdjo, S.

doi:10.1111/j.1744-7429.2010.00741.x

Cited by 20 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…Such wildlife-friendly farming approaches enable coexistence of agricultural activity and biodiversity in the same landscapes. Intensification may alter species diversity of relevance for conservation and ecosystem functioning [22], [23], [24]. We therefore need to predict consequences of agricultural intensification (specifically the reduction or elimination of shade) in order to develop pro-poor agroforestry strategies and incentives to conservation-friendly, ecologically complex agroforestry systems in West Africa.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shade Tree Diversity, Cocoa Pest Damage, Yield Compensating Inputs and Farmers' Net Returns in West Africa

et al. 2013

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Cocoa agroforests can significantly support biodiversity, yet intensification of farming practices is degrading agroforestry habitats and compromising ecosystem services such as biological pest control. Effective conservation strategies depend on the type of relationship between agricultural matrix, biodiversity and ecosystem services, but to date the shape of this relationship is unknown. We linked shade index calculated from eight vegetation variables, with insect pests and beneficial insects (ants, wasps and spiders) in 20 cocoa agroforests differing in woody and herbaceous vegetation diversity. We measured herbivory and predatory rates, and quantified resulting increases in cocoa yield and net returns. We found that number of spider webs and wasp nests significantly decreased with increasing density of exotic shade tree species. Greater species richness of native shade tree species was associated with a higher number of wasp nests and spider webs while species richness of understory plants did not have a strong impact on these beneficial species. Species richness of ants, wasp nests and spider webs peaked at higher levels of plant species richness. The number of herbivore species (mirid bugs and cocoa pod borers) and the rate of herbivory on cocoa pods decreased with increasing shade index. Shade index was negatively related to yield, with yield significantly higher at shade and herb covers<50%. However, higher inputs in the cocoa farms do not necessarily result in a higher net return. In conclusion, our study shows the importance of a diverse shade canopy in reducing damage caused by cocoa pests. It also highlights the importance of conservation initiatives in tropical agroforestry landscapes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shade Tree Diversity, Cocoa Pest Damage, Yield Compensating Inputs and Farmers' Net Returns in West Africa

et al. 2013

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“…There are several agroforestry practices; including shade trees with perennial crops such as coffee and cocoa. Several studies on tropical ecosystems have shown that agroforestry systems, especially traditional ones, play an important role as refuges of tropical biodiversity by providing habitat for many species of plants and animals in human-dominated landscapes (Cicuzza et al, 2011;Cassano et al, 2012;Maas et al, 2015;Gras et al, 2016). Thus, it is widely *Corresponding author.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest land use and native trees diversity conservation in Togolese mega hotspot, Upper Guinean, West Africa

Adjossou¹,

Dangbo²,

Houngbedji³

et al. 2019

J. Ecol. Nat. Environ.

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In tropics, species diversity in agricultural systems is often assessed without distinction between native and exotic species. However, the conservation value of an ecosystem depends on its richness in native species. This study was conducted to determine the conservation value of agricultural systems in Togo megahotspot, one of the species-rich sites in Upper Guinean. Specifically, the study compares fallow systems (FS), coffee systems (COFS), cocoa systems (COCS) to forest relics (FR) on the one hand, and on the other hand the agricultural systems (FS, COFS, COCS) between them base on natives tree species diversity and composition. Sites have been selected to represent different forest lands use types. Plots (n = 233) of different sizes (400, 500 and 625 m²) were used for data collection. In each plot, all living trees (DBH ≥ 10 cm) were counted. Rarefaction, generalized linear models (GLM) and ecological distance approach were used to standardized and compare the data. A total of 183 species were recorded, of which 42% were absent from the agricultural plots. Difference in diversity index were significant between the FR and agricultural systems (p<0.001), but not between agricultural systems (p=0.23). Guineo-Congolian climax and endemic species were seriously under threat. The study poses a real problem of regeneration dynamic of these species in human-dominated landscapes that requires further specific work.

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“…Indeed, arthropod, mammalian, avian and plant biodiversity are generally higher in shade-grown cacao Theobroma cacao and coffee Coffea spp. farms than in adjacent monocultures and can harbour a significant proportion of the biodiversity occurring in surrounding, intact forests (Greenberg, Bichier & Sterling 1997;Harvey, Gonzalez & Somarriba 2006;Faria et al 2007;Abrahamczyk et al 2008;Cicuzza et al 2011). The specific fraction of the original biodiversity remaining within shade-grown agro-ecosystems typically depends on the density, species composition and diversity of the overstorey trees retained within the planted area, as well as the extent to which the surrounding landscape has been modified (Rice & Greenberg 2000;Clough et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, the extent to which shade-grown agricultural systems support viable populations is unknown. For example, shade-grown agricultural systems may simply represent sink habitats in which sensitive species only persist because of immigration from adjacent patches of forests (Prugh et al 2008;Cicuzza et al 2011). Indeed, Rice & Greenberg (2000) suggested that two threatened species found in shade-grown cacao farms in the Atlantic Forests, the pink-legged graveteiro Acrobatornis fonsecai and the golden-headed lion tamarin Leontopithecus chrysomelas, are dependent on the presence of adjacent forest patches.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shade‐grown cacao supports a self‐sustaining population of two‐toed but not three‐toed sloths

Peery

Pauli

2014

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary1. The development of shade-grown agro-ecosystems has increasingly been identified as a strategy for conserving tropical biodiversity. While biodiversity tends to be higher in agroecosystems than in monocultures, the extent to which shade-grown crops support viable populations of sensitive and specialized tropical species has not been assessed. 2. We conducted a comparative demographic study between Hoffmann's two-toed sloth Choloepus hoffmanni and the brown-throated three-toed sloth Bradypus variegatus in a shadegrown cacao farm in Costa Rica. 3. Choloepus hoffmanni bred year-round, whereas B. variegatus bred seasonally, with females giving birth to young over a 6-month period peaking in late February. Relatively short time to offspring independence allowed B. variegatus females to breed annually, but longer periods of maternal care prevented C. hoffmanni from doing so. 4. Annual survival rates for adult males of both species derived from radiomarking and known fates models were high (>0Á90). Most adult mortality was the result of predation by domestic dogs Canis lupus familiaris and coyotes Canis latrans. 5. Estimates of population growth rates derived from a matrix population model indicated that the abundance of C. hoffmanni, but not B. variegatus, was stable in the absence of immigration. However, genetic parentage methods indicated that significant immigration of B. variegatus into the study area occurred and that the local population may be stable. 6. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that shade-grown crops embedded within an agro-ecosystem can support viable populations of some specialized tropical animals; other species, however, may require immigration from surrounding forests to maintain stable populations. More broadly, the value of human-modified landscapes for biodiversity may be overestimated when some species are dependent on immigration from intact habitats.

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Conservation Value of Cacao Agroforestry Systems for Terrestrial Herbaceous Species in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Cited by 20 publications

References 50 publications

Shade Tree Diversity, Cocoa Pest Damage, Yield Compensating Inputs and Farmers' Net Returns in West Africa

Shade Tree Diversity, Cocoa Pest Damage, Yield Compensating Inputs and Farmers' Net Returns in West Africa

Forest land use and native trees diversity conservation in Togolese mega hotspot, Upper Guinean, West Africa

Shade‐grown cacao supports a self‐sustaining population of two‐toed but not three‐toed sloths

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