COVID-19 and its impact on biodiversity in coffee farms in the Andean landscape

Abstract

In Buesaco (BUE) and The Tablón of Gómez (TTG), farms in the Nariño Department fauna likely benefited from reduced human activities by COVID-19. However, this phenomenon has not been documented, and perhaps this article is the first on this topic. A survey was conducted on 431 farmers to identify fauna sightings and plant species. The non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test and multiple regression explored variables influencing species composition. Additionally, BUE and TTG’s fauna composition reports were utilized in a multi-temporal analysis before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Analyzing data resulted in a compilation of lists containing the names of existing plant and fauna species. Sixty-four species of fauna were mentioned in BUE and TTG; birds accounted for 50%, and mammals accounted for 25%. Sciurus pucheranii had the highest mention frequency (MF), with 165 times by the producers in BUE and 188 times in TTG. This is the first record for the Nariño Department. According to the dominance index, four shade species within coffee plantations are considered the most dominant. Besides, five forest species around coffee are considered dominants. The Kruskal Wallis test (p = 0,013) and the regression analyses (R2 = 0,14) indicate that the null hypothesis should be rejected (p > 0.05). Species interaction between forest and fauna probably did not influence the increased biodiversity. The COVID-19 lockdown impacted how other fauna species appeared in BUE and TTG. Moreover, from 2021 to 2023, it can be determined that more species are mentioned than those recorded in years before COVID-19.