Effects of shade cocoa plantation on artificial fruit consumption by birds in two contrasting landscapes in Southern Bahia, Brazil

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamille de Assis Bomfim ◽  
Roberta Mariano Silva ◽  
Virgínia de Fernandes Souza ◽  
Edyla Ribeiro de Andrade ◽  
Eliana Cazetta
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Fruit Consumption ◽  
Artificial Fruit ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Southern Bahia ◽  
Cocoa Plantation

Abstract:To investigate the influence of forests and agroforestry systems on fruit consumption by birds, we studied two landscapes, one covered predominantly with forests and the other dominated by traditional shade cocoa plantations. In each landscape, we sampled three forest fragments and three shade cocoa plantations. We placed 15 artificial fruits in 25, 1–2-m-tall shrubs spaced every 50 m and evaluated the detection and consumption of fruits after 72 h. We used hemispherical photographs positioned above each fruit station to evaluate canopy openness. We found a statistically significant difference in fruit consumption between landscapes, which means that more fruits were detected and consumed in the forest-dominated landscape. However, forests and shade cocoa plantations within each landscape exhibited similar fruit consumption. Canopy openness was similar between the landscapes, however, the cocoa plantations exhibited greater canopy openness than forests. The results of this study reinforce the importance of the presence of forests in the agricultural landscape. Thus, to evaluate the capacity of agroforest to protect species and maintain ecological interactions it is also necessary to consider the landscape context.

scholarly journals On the structural complexity of central European agroforestry systems: a quantitative assessment using terrestrial laser scanning in single-scan mode

2021 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 669-685
Author(s):  
Dominik Seidel ◽  
Melissa Stiers ◽  
Martin Ehbrecht ◽  
Maik Werning ◽  
Peter Annighöfer
Keyword(s):  
Central Europe ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Christmas Tree ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Short Rotation

AbstractAgroforestry systems provide important ecosystem functions and services. They have the potential to enrich agricultural monocultures in central Europe with structural elements otherwise absent, which is expected to be accompanied by a surplus of ecosystem functions. Here we used quantitative measures derived from terrestrial laser scanning in single-scan mode to describe the structural complexity, the canopy openness, the foliage height diversity and the understory complexity of four common agroforest systems in central Europe. We accessed silvopasture systems with grazing ponies and cattle as well as fellow deer, short rotation forests with agricultural use between the tree rows, tree orchards with grazing sheep and Christmas tree plantations on which chickens forage. As a reference, we used data for 65 forest sites across Germany, representing different forest types, various dominant tree species, stand ages and management systems. We found that overall stand structural complexity is ranked as follows: forest > silvopasture systems > short rotation forest > tree orchard > Christmas tree plantation. Consequently, if overall structural complexity of an agricultural landscape shall be enriched, there is now strong evidence on how this may be achieved using agroforests. However, if the focus lies on selected structures that serve specific functions, e.g. dense understory to provide animal shelter, specific types of agroforests may be chosen and the ranking in overall structural complexity may be less important.

scholarly journals Fruit color preference by birds and applications to ecological restoration

2016 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 955-966 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. L. Gagetti ◽  
A. J. Piratelli ◽  
F. C. M. Piña-Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Fruit Color ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Fruit Consumption ◽  
Frugivorous Birds ◽  
Color Preferences ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
Modeling Clay ◽  
Effect Of Light

Abstract Ecological restoration aims to retrieve not only the structure but also the functionality of ecosystems. Frugivorous birds may play an important role in this process due to their efficiency in seed dispersal. Color perception in these animals is highly developed, and then the colors of fleshy fruits may provide important clues for choosing plant species for restoration plans. This study aims to integrate bird color preferences and restoration of degraded areas, with an objective to evaluate the potential attractiveness to birds by colored fruits. We carried out an experiment with 384 artificial fruits made of edible modeling clay with the following colors: black, blue, green and red, with 96 fruits of each color in six sites, including four restored areas and two second-growth forest fragments. We also tested the possible effect of light intensity on fruit consumption by color. A total of 120 (38.6%) were assumed to be consumed by birds, and the fruit consumption varied in response to the location and light incidence. Consumption of black and blue fruits was not related to site by chance. Notwithstanding, red and black fruits were consumed significantly more than any other colors, emphasizing bird preference to these colors, regardless of location. Enrichment with shade tolerant shrubs or forest species with black or red fruits may be an alternative way to manage established restorations. In recently established or new restorations, one may introduce pioneer shrubs or short-lived forest species which have blue fruits, but also those having black or red ones.

Carbon and Nitrogen Occluded in Soil Aggregates Under Cacao-Based Agroforestry Systems in Southern Bahia, Brazil

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Henrique Marques Monroe ◽  
Emanuela Forestieri Gama-Rodrigues ◽  
Antonio Carlos Gama-Rodrigues ◽  
Laís Carvalho Vicente
Keyword(s):  
Soil Aggregates ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Southern Bahia

scholarly journals Defaunation precipitates the extinction of evolutionarily distinct interactions in the Anthropocene

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. eaav6699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carine Emer ◽  
Mauro Galetti ◽  
Marco A. Pizo ◽  
Pedro Jordano ◽  
Miguel Verdú
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Rescue Effect ◽  
History Of ◽  
Local Extinctions ◽  
Functional Features ◽  
Avian Seed Dispersal

Species on Earth are interconnected with each other through ecological interactions. Defaunation can erode those connections, yet we lack evolutionary predictions about the consequences of losing interactions in human-modified ecosystems. We quantified the fate of the evolutionary history of avian–seed dispersal interactions across tropical forest fragments by combining the evolutionary distinctness of the pairwise-partner species, a proxy to their unique functional features. Both large-seeded plant and large-bodied bird species showed the highest evolutionary distinctness. We estimate a loss of 3.5 to 4.7 × 104 million years of cumulative evolutionary history of interactions due to defaunation. Bird-driven local extinctions mainly erode the most evolutionarily distinct interactions. However, the persistence of less evolutionarily distinct bird species in defaunated areas exerts a phylogenetic rescue effect through seed dispersal of evolutionarily distinct plant species.

scholarly journals Edge effects alter the role of fungi and insects in mediating functional composition and diversity of seedling recruits in a fragmented tropical forest

2020 ◽  
Vol 126 (7) ◽  
pp. 1181-1191
Author(s):  
Meghna Krishnadas ◽  
Kavya Agarwal ◽  
Liza S Comita
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Seed Size ◽  
Wood Density ◽  
Edge Effects ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Forest Fragments

Abstract Background and Aims In fragmented forests, proximity to forest edges can favour the establishment of resource-acquisitive species over more resource-conservative species. During seedling recruitment, resource-acquisitive species may benefit from either higher light availability or weaker top-down effects of natural enemies. The relative importance of light and enemies for recruitment has seldom been examined with respect to edge effects. Methods In a human-modified wet tropical forest in India, we first examined how functional traits indicative of resource-acquisitive vs. resource-conservative strategies, i.e. specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content, wood density and seed size, explained interspecific differences in densities of seedling recruits with distance to the forest edge. Then, we checked whether fungicide and insecticide treatments and canopy openness (proxy for light availability) explained edge effects on trait-mediated changes in seedling density. Finally, we examined whether light availability and natural enemy activity explained edge effects on functional diversity of seedling recruits. Key Results Up to 60 m from edges, recruit densities increased with decreasing seed size, but not at 90–100 m, where recruit densities increased with higher SLA. Trait-mediated variation in recruit densities changed with pesticides only at 90–100 m: compared with control plots, fungicide increased recruit densities for low SLA species and insecticide increased smaller seeded species. For SLA, wood density and seed size, functional diversity of recruits was higher at 90–100 m than at 0–5 m. At 90–100 m, fungicide decreased functional diversity for SLA and insecticide reduced seed size diversity compared with control plots. Canopy openness explained neither variation in recruit density in relation to traits nor functional diversity. Conclusions Altered biotic interactions can mediate local changes to trait composition and functional diversity during seedling recruitment in forest fragments, hinting at downstream effects on the structure and function of human-modified forests.

Ecological Interactions and Productivity in Agroforestry Systems

2013 ◽  
pp. 151-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Atangana ◽  
Damase Khasa ◽  
Scott Chang ◽  
Ann Degrande
Keyword(s):  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Ecological Interactions

scholarly journals Tinjauan perubahan cara bercocok tanam pada lanskap agrikultur di desa enclave Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru, Ngadas, Kabupaten Malang

2019 ◽  
pp. 233
Author(s):  
Dian Kartika Santoso ◽  
Antariksa Antariksa ◽  
Sri Utami
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Cultivation System ◽  
Landscape Units ◽  
The Right ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

A review of cultivation changes in agricultural landscapes in the enclave village of Bromo TenggerSemeru National Park, Ngadas, Malang Regency Ngadas village is one example of an agricultural villagelocated in the mountains. Ngadas village is located in the enclave of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park(TNBTS) in the Malang Regency, East Java. The dependence of the community on agricultural land makesNgadas have a strong agrarian image. Ngadas people do more activities in the fields than in the house. Asbasic landscape units in the form of mountains, they have a vulnerability if not used wisely. The problem ofvulnerability to erosion in the agricultural landscape, makes Ngadas Village interesting to study. Primarily,regarding the relationship of landscapes and land conservation efforts that must be made to a complexagricultural landscape. Therefore, there is a need for research that focuses on efforts to conserve land, especially in an agricultural landscape. Research is conducted through qualitative methods with spatial andqualitative descriptive comparative analysis. The results of the study show that changes in farming methodshave several disadvantages that can cause land degradation and reduced productivity in each period, includingthe shifting cultivation system to reduce nutrients, upper slopes planted with tubers and monoculture agriculture.Therefore, it is necessary to have the right recommendations, namely planting upper slopes with hard woodplants, planting with polyculture systems, and agroforestry systems applied on the upper slopes.

scholarly journals Carbon Stock and Sequestration Potential of an Agroforestry System in Sabah, Malaysia

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Normah Awang Besar ◽  
Herawandi Suardi ◽  
Mui-How Phua ◽  
Daniel James ◽  
Mazlin Bin Mokhtar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Carbon Stock ◽  
Agroforestry System ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

Total aboveground carbon (TAC) and total soil carbon stock in the agroforestry system at the Balung River Plantation, Sabah, Malaysia were investigated to scientifically support the sustaining of natural forest for mitigating global warming via reducing carbon in the atmosphere. Agroforestry, monoculture, and natural tropical forests were investigated to calculate the carbon stock and sequestration based on three different combinations of oil palm and agarwood in agroforestry systems from 2014 to 2018. These combinations were oil palm (27 years) and agarwood (seven years), oil palm (20 years) and agarwood (seven years), and oil palm (17 years) and agarwood (five years). Monoculture oil palm (16 years), oil palm (six years), and natural tropical forest were set as the control. Three randomly selected plots for agroforestry and monoculture plantation were 0.25 ha (50 × 50 m), respectively, whereas for the natural tropical forest it was 0.09 ha (30 × 30 m). A nondestructive sampling method followed by the allometric equation determined the standing biomass. Organic and shrub layers collected in a square frame (1 × 1 m) were analyzed using the CHN628 series (LECO Corp., MI, USA) for carbon content. Soil bulk density of randomly selected points within the three different layers, that is, 0 to 5, 5 to 10, and 10 to 30 cm were used to determine the total ecosystem carbon (TEC) stock in each agroforestry system which was 79.13, 85.40, and 78.28 Mg C ha−1, respectively. The TEC in the monoculture oil palm was 76.44 and 60.30 Mg C ha−1, whereas natural tropical forest had the highest TEC of 287.29 Mg C ha−1. The forest stand had the highest TEC capacity as compared with the agroforestry and monoculture systems. The impact of planting systems on the TEC showed a statistically significant difference at a 95% confidence interval for the various carbon pools among the agroforestry, monoculture, and natural tropical forests. Therefore, the forest must be sustained because of its higher capacity to store carbon in mitigating global warming.

On the ecological significance of fruit color in Prunus serotina and Rubus occidentalis: field experiments

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (8) ◽  
pp. 1554-1560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea L. Morden-Moore ◽  
Mary F. Willson
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Fruit Color ◽  
Prunus Serotina ◽  
Ecological Significance ◽  
Fruit Consumption ◽  
Removal Rates ◽  
Isolated Trees ◽  
Rubus Occidentalis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Whole Tree

The hypothesis that a bicolored fruit display increases fruit consumption by birds was supported by results of experimental displays of Prunus serotina fruits in solitary infructescences. However, at the level of a whole-tree fruiting display, the hypothesis was not supported: there was no significant difference in removal rates from bicolored and all-black displays on isolated trees; an all-black display was more attractive to avian dispersers on trees in a clumped distribution. For Rubus occidentalis, there was no significant difference in removal rates in different colored displays. There may be more reward per unit searching time in all-black trees because of more ripe fruits and perhaps more available insects; these possibilities are testable but leave unattended the problem of the evolution of bicolored displays.

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