Exotic pest insects: another perspective on coffee and conservation

Abstract

Research on crop systems and biodiversity conservation in the tropics has mainly been concerned with how low to mid intensity agricultural systems can benefit from adjacent natural habitats by receiving ecosystem services from natural biodiversity. One intensively studied crop in this framework is coffee. Positive effects are relatively easy to quantify by comparing coffee yield and by recording native species diversity. However, a largely overlooked issue is how agricultural areas affect native organisms in adjacent natural habitats, for example through movement of pest species that could impose a risk of degrading these habitats. We give an example from Mauritius, where an introduced coffee pest severely reduces the reproductive success of a threatened endemic plant species. We argue that such effects may be more common than suggested by the literature, especially when crop and native plants are congeneric. In the long term, such negative effects may degrade natural habitats, thereby causing ecosystem services derived from these habitats to decline.

Conceptual domain of the matrix in fragmented landscapes

“…For example, coffee plantations have received widespread attention as a matrix capable of supporting forest species [89], but these plantations also provide resources for pest species. In Mauritius, the Coffee Berry Moth Prophantis smaragdina moves from the matrix into adjacent rainforest, consuming the fruit and thereby reducing the reproductive success of the endemic dioecious shrub Bertiera zaluzania [90]. Such spill-over edge-effects could be more widespread than is currently recognised in the literature [56,90].…”

“…In Mauritius, the Coffee Berry Moth Prophantis smaragdina moves from the matrix into adjacent rainforest, consuming the fruit and thereby reducing the reproductive success of the endemic dioecious shrub Bertiera zaluzania [90]. Such spill-over edge-effects could be more widespread than is currently recognised in the literature [56,90].…”

Sustentabilidad ambiental de fincas cafetaleras del valle del Monzón - Huánuco

“…Los monocultivos de café resultaron no sustentables ambientalmente, debido a la poca diversidad de cultivos en la finca cafetalera, poca cobertura vegetal en el suelo y aérea. Kaiser et al (2008) mencionan que los monocultivos introducidos como el café tienden a traer consigo plagas. Lo mencionado por el autor se refleja en algunas fincas cafetaleras del valle del Monzón debido a que solo existe un solo cultivo el café.…”