Produce coffee in shaded plantations

Overall effectiveness category Evidence not assessed
Number of studies: 3
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Background information and definitions

Coffee is often grown commercially in large monocultures, with no taller trees providing shade, often referred to as “sun-grown” coffee. However, as a perennial species which grows naturally in the forest understorey, coffee can also be grown among other, taller trees, which may or may not also provide a commercial product (“shade-grown coffee”). By retaining a more diverse forest structure, shade-grown coffee may allow a more diverse forest ecosystem to develop or persist, including communities of butterflies and moths. However, some species of moth, such as the coffee leaf miner, are a coffee pest, and growers may want to reduce their abundance (Borkhataria et al. 2012).

^{Borkhataria R.R., Collazo J.A. & Groom M.J. (2012) Species abundance and potential biological control services in shade vs. sun coffee in Puerto Rico. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 151, 1–5.}

Study locations

Key messages

Three studies evaluated the effects on butterflies and moths of producing coffee in shaded plantations. Two studies were in Mexico and one was in Puerto Rico.

COMMUNITY RESPONSE (2 STUDIES)

Richness/diversity (2 studies): One paired sites, site comparison study in Mexico found that a plantation with its original canopy but understory replaced with coffee had higher species richness of fruit-eating butterflies than one with its original canopy and understory replaced with coffee and other vegetation or those with canopies replaced with other shading trees and understories replaced with coffee with or without other vegetation. One site comparison study in Mexico found that shaded coffee plantations had a higher species richness of caterpillars than a sun-grown monoculture.

POPULATION RESPONSE (2 STUDIES)

Abundance (2 studies): Two site comparison studies (including one replicated study) in Puerto Rico and Mexico found that shade-grown coffee plantations had a greater abundance of caterpillars than sun-grown coffee plantations. One of these studies also found that the abundance of coffee leaf miner was similar in shade-grown and sun-grown plantations.

BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES)

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A paired sites, site comparison in 1998 in seven areas of shaded coffee plantation and forest in Chiapas, Mexico (Mas and Dietsch 2004) found that a plantation with the original canopy retained and understory replaced with coffee (“rustic” management) had higher species richness of fruit-eating butterflies than a plantation with its original canopy retained and understory replaced with coffee and other vegetation (“traditional polyculture”) or plantations with their original canopies replaced with other shading trees and understories replaced with coffee with (“commercial polyculture”) or without other vegetation (“shaded monoculture”). The rustic plantation had higher species richness of fruit-eating butterflies (25) than traditional polyculture (10), commercial polyculture (10–11) and shaded monoculture (10) plantations. The rustic plantation had similar species richness to a nearby intact area of forest (27) but lower species richness than a further away forest (36). In two areas of Mexico, one rustic, one traditional polyculture, one shaded monoculture and two traditional polyculture plantations were surveyed. In summer 1998 at four points in each location (28 points in total) two fruit-baited traps were set, one in the understory and one in the canopy, for eight days. Estimated species richness was calculated statistically from numbers of butterflies caught in traps.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Mas A.H. & Dietsch T.V. (2004) Linking shade coffee certification to biodiversity conservation: butterflies and birds in Chiapas, Mexico. Ecological Applications, 14, 642-654.
A replicated, site comparison study in 1999–2000 in six coffee plantations in Puerto Rico (Borkhataria et al 2012) found that shade-grown coffee plantations had a higher abundance of caterpillars than sun-grown coffee plantations. In shade-grown coffee plantations, the abundance of caterpillars (1.3 individuals/tree) was higher than in sun-grown plantations (0.6 individuals/tree). However, the abundance of a coffee pest species (coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeela) was not significantly different in shade-grown (2.0 individuals/tree) and sun-grown coffee (1.7 individuals/tree). In April 1999 and March–April 2000, caterpillars were surveyed in two or three randomly-located plots (>120 m apart) in each of three shade- and three sun-grown coffee plantations (1.35–5.95 ha). Caterpillars were surveyed by turning 100 leaves (>10 cm long, 0.5–2 m high) in each of 12–14 coffee trees/plot.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Borkhataria R.R., Collazo J.A. & Groom M.J. (2012) Species abundance and potential biological control services in shade vs. sun coffee in Puerto Rico. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 151.
A site comparison study in 2016 in five coffee plantations in Veracruz, Mexico (Sosa-Aranda et al. 2018) found that shaded coffee plantations had a higher abundance and species richness of caterpillars than a sun-grown monoculture plantation. On four polyculture and shaded monoculture coffee plantations, the abundance (124–212 individuals) and species richness (83–129 species) of caterpillars was higher than in a sun-grown coffee monoculture (abundance: 47 individuals; richness: 46 species). In addition, the amount of damage found on coffee leaves was not related to either caterpillar abundance or species richness (data not presented). The management intensity of five coffee plantations was measured based on 10 vegetation characteristics (including canopy cover, epiphyte cover, area of shade trees and presence of herbs) and the frequency of six external inputs (fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, irrigation and ploughing). In July, September and December 2016, all caterpillars were collected by hand from all plants along three 30 × 2-m transects in the centre of each plantation, and reared to adults for species identification.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Sosa-Aranda I., del-Val E., Hernández-Martínez G., Arroyo-Lambaer D., Uscanga A. & Boege K. (2018) Response of lepidopteran herbivore communities to crop management in coffee plantations. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 265, 37-44.

Please cite as:

Bladon A.J., Bladon, E. K., Smith R.K. & Sutherland W.J. (2023) Butterfly and Moth Conservation: Global Evidence for the Effects of Interventions for butterflies and moths. Conservation Evidence Series Synopsis. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Butterfly and Moth Conservation

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