PS 59-14
Contrasting responses of different taxonomic groups to local and landscape agricultural factors
Agricultural land-use is a strong driver of biodiversity loss considering that around 40% of the terrestrial land surface is now covered by agriculture. Yet, some agricultural systems can maintain high levels of biodiversity, for example shade coffee plantations can maintain high species diversity. At the same time, maintaining natural habitats in agricultural landscapes can promote biodiversity within farms. Studies are beginning to reveal that different taxonomic groups respond to different factors. We measured the response of tree, spider, ant, parasitoid, bee, leafhopper, and bird biodiversity to variation in local coffee management factors and landscape scale factors in Chiapas, Mexico. In 2011 and 2012, we surveyed 38 sites across 9 plantations for different taxonomic groups and characterized sites for local and landscape factors. We then compared the responses of different taxonomic groups.
Results/Conclusions
The results suggest that different taxonomic groups respond to different agricultural factors. Spiders responded strongly to elevation, where there were more spiders at lower elevations. Tree canopy connectivity positively influenced both spider abundance and richness. Bird richness had a strong positive correlation with the diversity of habitat types in the surrounding landscape. Local factors were important in explaining tree species richness. Parasitoid, ant, bee, and leafhopper diversity responded to both local and landscape scale factors in contrasting ways. These results suggest that different taxonomic groups respond to different local and landscape coffee agricultural factors. Thus when considering conservation of biodiversity in agriculture, it is important to consider strategies at multiple scales.