Saturday, March 25, 2023
SCIENMAG: Latest Science and Health News
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag - Latest science news from science magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home SCIENCE NEWS Agriculture

Impact of cocoa agroforestry on bird diversity

June 28, 2021
in Agriculture
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Smithsonian conservation research brief

IMAGE

Credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Did you know chocolate comes from cocoa beans grown in some of the most biodiverse tropical landscapes on the planet? The cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) is farmed within biodiversity hotspots of West Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. Cocoa was traditionally grown under a canopy of native trees that provided habitat for birds and other wildlife. However, pressure to increase cocoa production has pushed many farmers to clear forest and eliminate the shade trees on their farms.

An estimated 2-3 million hectares of tropical forest were converted to cocoa from 1988-2008 with severe consequences for biodiversity. Unsustainable cocoa monocultures (agricultural systems growing a single crop type) eventually collapse from disease, pests and soil degradation, hurting local communities as well as bird populations. Eliminating monoculture cocoa from supply chains and converting to sustainable agroforestry systems can help maintain productive farms while protecting habitats and biodiversity.

RESEARCH PAPER

Title: “Impact of cocoa agricultural intensification on bird diversity and community composition”

Published: Conservation Biology

PDF: https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.13779

For citations: https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13779

Abstract:

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) agriculture threatens tropical biodiversity to meet growing demand for chocolate, but cocoa sustainability initiatives largely overlook biodiversity conservation. To inform these initiatives, we analyzed how cocoa agriculture impacts bird diversity at farm and landscape scales with a global meta-analysis of 23 studies. Bird diversity declined sharply in intensified, low shade cocoa. Cocoa with >30% canopy cover from diverse trees retained similar bird diversity to forest, but composition changed: diversity of “agriculture avoiders” – endemics, frugivores, and insectivores – declined, while diversity of “agriculture associates” – habitat generalists, migrants, nectarivores, and granivores – increased. As forest decreased on the landscape, the difference in bird community composition between forest and cocoa also decreased, indicating agriculture associates replaced agriculture avoiders in forest patches. Our results emphasize the need to conserve forested landscapes (land sparing) and invest in mixed-shade agroforestry (land sharing), with each strategy benefiting a diverse and distinct biological community.

Quote from Ruth Bennet, lead author and researcher for the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center:

“The chocolate industry is consistently trying to grow more cocoa on land already under cultivation in an attempt to conserve what forest remains in these tropical landscapes. Our study shows that these zero-deforestation efforts are critical for many native birds, especially endemic species found nowhere else on the planet. Yet, we also find that mixed-shade agroforestry cocoa, which is less supported by industry, supports a diversity of other important species, including threatened migratory birds.”

###

Authors

Ruth E. Bennett (1), T. Scott Sillett (1), Robert A. Rice, (1) Peter P. Marra (1,2)

(1) Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

(2) Department of Biology and McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University

About the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) is dedicated to understanding, conserving and championing the grand phenomenon of bird migration. Founded in 1991, and part of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), SMBC scientists work to conserve migratory species through research and public education that foster a better understanding of migratory birds and the need to protect diverse habitats across the Western Hemisphere. SCBI plays a leading role in the Smithsonian’s global efforts to save wildlife species from extinction and train future generations of conservationists, spearhead research programs at its headquarters in Front Royal, Virginia, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and at field research stations and training sites worldwide

Media Contact
Annalisa Meyer
[email protected]

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13779

Tags: AgricultureBiologyEcology/EnvironmentFood/Food ScienceForestry
Share26Tweet17Share5ShareSendShare
  • Figure 1

    Light meets deep learning: computing fast enough for next-gen AI

    74 shares
    Share 30 Tweet 19
  • Healthy men who have vaginal sex have a distinct urethral microbiome

    258 shares
    Share 103 Tweet 65
  • The “Stonehenge calendar” shown to be a modern construct

    81 shares
    Share 32 Tweet 20
  • Spotted lanternfly spreads by hitching a ride with humans

    92 shares
    Share 37 Tweet 23
  • Researchers discover a way to fight the aging process and cancer development

    76 shares
    Share 30 Tweet 19
  • Argonne is helping U.S. companies advance battery recycling technology and strengthen the nation’s battery supply chain

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
ADVERTISEMENT

About us

We bring you the latest science news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Latest NEWS

Healthy men who have vaginal sex have a distinct urethral microbiome

Spotted lanternfly spreads by hitching a ride with humans

Cyprus’s copper deposits created one of the most important trade hubs in the Bronze Age

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 205 other subscribers

© 2023 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US

© 2023 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In