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1. Shade trees preserve avian insectivore biodiversity on coffee farms in a warming climate

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6879  

   Schooler, Sarah L. ; Johnson, Matthew D. ; Njoroge, Peter ; Bean, William T. ( October 2020 , Ecology and Evolution)

   Coffee is an important export for many developing countries, with a global annual trade value of $100 billion, but it is threatened by a warming climate. Shade trees may mitigate the effects of climate change through temperature regulation that can aid in coffee growth, slow pest reproduction, and sustain avian insectivore diversity. The impact of shade on bird diversity and microclimate on coffee farms has been studied extensively in the Neotropics, but there is a dearth of research in the Paleotropics.

   East Africa.

   We created current and future regional Maxent models for avian insectivores in East Africa using Worldclim temperature data and observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Database. We then adjusted current and future bioclimatic layers based on mean differences in temperature between shade and sun coffee farms and projected the models using these adjusted layers to predict the impact of shade tree removal on climatic suitability for avian insectivores.

   Existing Worldclim temperature layers more closely matched temperatures under shade trees than temperatures in the open. Removal of shade trees, through warmer temperatures alone, would result in reduction of avian insectivore species by over 25%, a loss equivalent to 50 years of climate change under the most optimistic emissions scenario. Under the most extreme climate scenario and removal of shade trees, insectivore richness is projected to decline from a mean of 38 to fewer than 8 avian insectivore species.

   We found that shade trees on coffee farms already provide important cooler microclimates for avian insectivores. Future temperatures will become a regionally limiting factor for bird distribution in East Africa, which could negatively impact control of coffee pests, but the effect of climate change can be potentially mediated through planting and maintaining shade trees on coffee farms.

    

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2. Beavers, Bugs and Chemistry: A Mammalian Herbivore Changes Chemistry Composition and Arthropod Communities in Foundation Tree Species

   https://doi.org/10.3390/f12070877  

   Durben, Rachel M. ; Walker, Faith M. ; Holeski, Liza ; Keith, Arthur R. ; Kovacs, Zsuzsi ; Hurteau, Sarah R. ; Lindroth, Richard L. ; Shuster, Stephen M. ; Whitham, Thomas G. ( July 2021 , Forests)

   null (Ed.)

   The North American beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) and cottonwoods (Populus spp.) are foundation species, the interactions of which define a much larger community and affect a threatened riparian habitat type. Few studies have tested the effect of these interactions on plant chemistry and a diverse arthropod community. We experimentally examined the impact of beaver foraging on riparian communities by first investigating beaver food preferences for one cottonwood species, Fremont cottonwood (P. fremontii S. Watson), compared to other locally available woody species. We next examined the impact of beaver foraging on twig chemistry and arthropod communities in paired samples of felled and unfelled cottonwood species in northern Arizona (P. fremontii) and southwestern Colorado (narrowleaf cottonwood, P. angustifolia James, and Eastern cottonwood, P. deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall). Four major patterns emerged: (1) In a cafeteria experiment, beavers chose P. fremontii six times more often than other woody native and exotic species. (2) With two cottonwood species, we found that the nitrogen and salicortin concentrations were up to 45% greater and lignin concentration 14% lower in the juvenile resprout growth of felled trees than the juvenile growth on unfelled trees (six of seven analyses were significant for P. fremontii and four of six were significant for P. angustifolia). (3) With two cottonwood species, arthropod community composition on juvenile branches differed significantly between felled and unfelled trees, with up to 38% greater species richness, 114% greater relative abundance and 1282% greater species diversity on felled trees (six of seven analyses with P. fremontii and four of six analyses with P. angustifolia were significant). The above findings indicate that the highest arthropod diversity is achieved in the heterogenous stands of mixed felled and unfelled trees than in stands of cottonwoods, where beavers are not present. These results also indicate that beaver herbivory changes the chemical composition in 10 out of 13 chemical traits in the juvenile growth of two of the three cottonwood species to potentially allow better defense against future beaver herbivory. (4) With P. deltoides, only one of five analyses in chemistry was significant, and none of the four arthropod community analyses were significant, suggesting that this species and its arthropod community responds differently to beaver. Potential reasons for these differences are unknown. Overall, our findings suggest that in addition to their impact on riparian vegetation, other mammals, birds, and aquatic organisms, beavers also may define the arthropod communities of two of three foundation tree species in these riparian ecosystems. 

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3. Bird communities in African cocoa agroforestry are diverse but lack specialized insectivores

   https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13864  

   Jarrett, Crinan ; Smith, Thomas B. ; Claire, Tabe T. R. ; Ferreira, Diogo F. ; Tchoumbou, Melanie ; Elikwo, Malange N. F. ; Wolfe, Jared ; Brzeski, Kristin ; Welch, Andreanna J. ; Hanna, Rachid ; et al ( March 2021 , Journal of Applied Ecology)

   Forests are being converted to agriculture throughout the Afrotropics, driving declines in sensitive rainforest taxa such as understorey birds. The ongoing expansion of cocoa agriculture, a common small‐scale farming commodity, has contributed to the loss of 80% rainforest cover in some African countries. African cocoa farms may provide habitat for biodiversity, yet little is known about their suitability for vertebrate fauna, or the effect of farm management on animal communities.

   Here, we report the first in‐depth investigation into avian diversity and community composition in African cocoa, by assembling a dataset of 9,566 individual birds caught across 83 sites over 30 years in Southern Cameroon. We compared bird diversity in mature forest and cocoa using measures of alpha, beta and gamma diversity, and we investigated the effect of cocoa farm shade and forest cover on bird communities.

   Gamma diversity was higher in cocoa than forest, though alpha diversity was similar, indicating a higher dissimilarity (beta diversity) between cocoa farms. Cocoa farms differed from forest in community composition, with a distinctive decrease in relative abundance of insectivores, forest specialists and ant‐followers and an increase in frugivores.

   Within cocoa farms, we found that farms with high shade cover in forested landscapes resulted in higher relative abundance and richness of sensitive forest species; shady farms contained up to five times the proportion of forest specialists than sunny farms.

   Synthesis and applications. Sunny African cocoa farms were less able to support sensitive bird guilds compared with shaded farms in forested landscapes. Our findings support the notion that certain ecological and dietary guilds, such as ant‐followers and forest specialists are disproportionately affected by land‐use change. In light of the current push to increase cocoa production in sub‐Saharan Africa, our results provide policymakers opportunities for more wildlife‐friendly cocoa schemes that maximize avian diversity.

    

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4. Multiscale habitat mediates pest reduction by birds in an intensive agricultural region

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2884  

   Heath, Sacha K. ; Long, Rachael F. ( October 2019 , Ecosphere)

   Habitat augmentation on farms is predicted to conserve biological diversity and support beneficial animals that reduce crop pests. Effectiveness of local habitat enhancement and subsequent pest reduction services can be mediated by the amount of habitat at larger scales. We tested whether the presence and increase of local and landscape scale bird habitat increased avian predator abundance and pest reduction by birds. We surveyed birds and performed a sentinel prey exclosure experiment in walnut orchards in the Sacramento Valley, California,USA—comparing predation probability between orchards with (n = 10) and without (n = 10) woody habitat in uncultivated orchard margins. We digitized seminatural habitat cover in landscapes around orchards to test the effectiveness of avian predators in reducing sentinel prey along a seminatural cover gradient of 0–38%. Experimental prey were diapausing larvae ofCydia pomonella(L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae; codling moth), a significant pest of walnuts, which overwinter in cocoons in orchards, emerge as adults, and produce larvae that feed on the nuts the following spring. Permitting bird access to cocoons increased larval predation from 11% (caged) to 46% (no cage), and predation increased with increasing proportions of seminatural habitat within 500‐m of orchard transects. Predation also increased as the size and bark furrow depth of walnut trees increased, likely because these characteristics were associated with increasing abundance of avian predators with functional traits specific to consuming tree‐dwelling cocoons (e.g., woodpeckers). The presence and increasing complexity of local margin habitat increased the species richness and abundance of avian predators but was not predictive of cocoon predation. Consistent with intermediate landscape‐complexity hypothesis predictions, the effect size of woodpecker abundance on predation was large in simple landscapes (1–20% seminatural cover) and low in complex landscapes (>20% cover). Contrary to predictions, effect size was large in cleared landscapes (<1% cover), suggesting that orchards supported predators in cleared landscapes, with positive effects on pest reduction. We provide evidence that increasing the abundance of avian predators with traits specific for consuming target pests—by retaining old trees and seminatural cover—can increase orchard pest reduction services in an intensive agricultural region.

    

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5. Avian use of avocado farms and intact forest in the northern Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Republic

   https://doi.org/10.55431/jco.2023.36.147-161  

   Young, Avery ; Aborn, David ; Latta, Steven C. ; Boyd, Jennifer Nagel ( February 2023 , Journal of Caribbean Ornithology)

   Abstract The Dominican Republic is experiencing increased forest loss due to the expansion of avocado farming. While agricultural lands can provide viable habitat for birds, knowledge of avian use of avocado farms relative to native forest is limited. We conducted surveys in fall 2021 to compare the bird communities and vegetation complexity of two avocado farm sites and two native dry forest sites in the northern Sierra de Bahoruco region of the Dominican Republic to assess avian habitat use. Overall, we found that habitat associations differed for bird species distinguished by contrasting geographic ranges. In particular, the abundance, richness, and diversity of bird species endemic to Hispaniola were significantly greater in forests than in farms, while non-endemic resident bird species had the opposite habitat associations. The abundance, richness, and diversity of Neotropical migrants exhibited fewer distinct differences between farm and forest sites. Vegetation structural complexity was reduced in avocado farms relative to forests and was positively associated with the abundance, richness, and diversity of endemic bird species but negatively associated with these community measures of non-endemic resident species. Collectively, our findings suggest that avocado farms could provide viable habitat for non-endemic resident and migrant bird species, but that endemic species could be negatively impacted by an increase in avocado farming in the region. We offer recommendations for forest preservation, farming practices, and future research that could help to inform the conservation of endemic species in the region. Keywords agriculture, avian conservation, Dominican Republic, endemic species, habitat use, land-use change, Neotropical migrants Resumen Uso de granjas de cultivo de aguacate y bosques nativos por parte de las aves en el norte de la Sierra de Bahoruco, República Dominica • La República Dominicana está experimentando una mayor pérdida de bosques nativos como consecuencia de la expansión de los cultivos de aguacate. Aunque las tierras agrícolas pueden proporcionar un hábitat propicio para algunas aves, el conocimiento sobre el uso que hacen de los cultivos de aguacate en comparación con las áreas forestales nativas es limitado. En otoño de 2021, realizamos muestreos en dos granjas de aguacate y dos bosques secos nativos en la región norte de la Sierra de Bahoruco (República Dominicana), y comparamos las comunidades de aves y la complejidad de la vegetación para evaluar el uso del hábitat que hacen las aves. En general, observamos diferencias entre las asociaciones de hábitats de las especies de aves con distribuciones geográficas distintas. En particular, la abundancia, riqueza y diversidad de especies de aves endémicas de La Española fueron significativamente mayores en los bosques que en las granjas; mientras que las especies de aves residentes no endémicas mostraron asociaciones de hábitat opuestas. La abundancia, riqueza y diversidad de las aves migratorias neotropicales exhibieron menos diferencias entre las granjas y los bosques. La complejidad estructural de la vegetación se redujo en las granjas de aguacate en relación con los bosques y tuvo una correlación positiva con la abundancia, riqueza y diversidad de aves endémicas, pero negativa con las mismas medidas comunitarias de especies residentes no endémicas. En conjunto, nuestros resultados sugieren que los cultivos de aguacate podrían proporcionar un hábitat adecuado para aves residentes no endémicas y migratorias; mientras que las especies endémicas podrían verse afectadas negativamente por un aumento de estos cultivos en la región. Por último, proporcionamos recomendaciones para la conservación de los bosques, prácticas agrícolas y futuras investigaciones que podrían contribuir a la conservación de las aves endémicas de esta región. Palabras clave agricultura, aves migratorias neotropicales, cambio de uso de suelo, conservación de aves, especies endémicas, República Dominicana, uso de hábitat Résumé Utilisation par les oiseaux des plantations d’avocatiers et des forêts non exploitées dans le nord de la Sierra de Bahoruco, en République dominicaine • En République dominicaine, la forêt indigène est en régression en raison de l’augmentation de la culture des avocatiers. Bien que les terres agricoles puissent fournir un habitat approprié à certains oiseaux, les connaissances sur l’utilisation des plantations d’avocatiers par rapport à celle des forêts indigènes sont limitées. Nous avons échantillonné deux plantations d’avocatiers et deux forêts sèches indigènes dans la Sierra de Bahoruco (République dominicaine) au cours de l’automne 2021, et nous avons comparé leurs communautés d’oiseaux et la complexité de leur végétation afin d’évaluer l’utilisation de ces deux habitats par les oiseaux. Dans l’ensemble, nous avons observé que les associations entre espèces d’oiseaux et habitats différaient en fonction de la répartition géographique des oiseaux. En particulier, l’abondance, la richesse et la diversité de l’avifaune endémique à Hispaniola étaient significativement plus fortes dans les forêts que dans les plantations, tandis que les espèces d’oiseaux sédentaires non endémiques étaient inversement associées à ces habitats. L’abondance, la richesse et la diversité des migrateurs néotropicaux présentaient moins de différences distinctes entre les milieux agricoles et forestiers. La complexité de la structure de la végétation était plus faible dans les plantations d’avocatiers que dans les forêts, et était positivement corrélée à l’abondance, à la richesse et à la diversité des espèces d’oiseaux endémiques, mais négativement corrélée à ces mesures pour les communautés d’espèces sédentaires non endémiques. Dans l’ensemble, nos résultats semblent indiquer que les plantations d’avocatiers pourraient constituer un habitat viable pour les espèces d’oiseaux sédentaires et migrateurs non endémiques, mais que les espèces endémiques pourraient être affectées négativement par une augmentation de ces cultures dans la région. Nous formulons des recommandations pour la préservation des forêts, les pratiques agricoles et les recherches futures qui pourraient contribuer à la conservation des espèces endémiques dans la région. Mots clés agriculture, changement d’affectation des terres, conservation de l’avifaune, espèces endémiques, migrateurs néotropicaux, République dominicaine, utilisation des habitats

    

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