Birds and bats enhance cacao yield despite suppressing arthropod mesopredation
Bird- and bat-mediated biocontrol benefits the productivity of tropicalcommodity crops such as cacao, but the ecological interactions drivingthese ecosystem services remain poorly understood. Whereas birds and batsprey on herbivorous arthropods, they may also prey on arthropodmesopredators such as a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130569 |
| _version_ | 1855541617582145536 |
|---|---|
| author | Ocampo Ariza, Carolina Vansynghel, Justine Bertleff, Denise Maas, Bea Schumacher, Nils-Christian Ulloque-Samatelo, Carlos Yovera, Fredy F. Thomas, Evert Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf Tscharntke, Teja |
| author_browse | Bertleff, Denise Maas, Bea Ocampo Ariza, Carolina Schumacher, Nils-Christian Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf Thomas, Evert Tscharntke, Teja Ulloque-Samatelo, Carlos Vansynghel, Justine Yovera, Fredy F. |
| author_facet | Ocampo Ariza, Carolina Vansynghel, Justine Bertleff, Denise Maas, Bea Schumacher, Nils-Christian Ulloque-Samatelo, Carlos Yovera, Fredy F. Thomas, Evert Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf Tscharntke, Teja |
| author_sort | Ocampo Ariza, Carolina |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Bird- and bat-mediated biocontrol benefits the productivity of tropicalcommodity crops such as cacao, but the ecological interactions drivingthese ecosystem services remain poorly understood. Whereas birds and batsprey on herbivorous arthropods, they may also prey on arthropodmesopredators such as ants, with poorly understood consequences for pestbiocontrol. We used a full-factorial experiment excluding birds, bats, andants to assess their effects on (a) the abundanceof multiple arthropodgroups; (b) predation pressure on arthropods evaluated through artificialsentinel caterpillars; and (c) cacao yield over 1 year in shaded agroforestrysystems of native cacao varieties in Peru. Birds and bats increasedcacao yield by 118%, which translates in smallholder benefits of ca.US $959 ha−1year−1. Birds and bats decreased predation by ants and otherarthropods, but contributed to thecontrol of phytophagous taxa such asaphids and mealybugs. By contrast, ant presence increased the abundanceof these sap-sucking insects, with negative impacts for cacao yield.Notably, high abundances of the dominant antNylanderiasp., known toattend sap-sucking insects, were associated with lower cacao yield along adistance gradient from the closest forest edge. According to these results,arthropod predation by birds and bats, rather than mesopredation byarthropods, was most responsible forincreases in cacao yield. Moving for-ward, detailed research about their trophic interactions will be necessary toidentify the cause of such benefits. Retaining and restoring the large bene-fits of birds and bats as well as minimizing disservices by other taxa incacao agroforests can benefit from management schemes that prioritizepreservation of shade trees and adjacent forests within agroforestrylandscapes. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace130569 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| publisherStr | Wiley |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1305692025-11-11T19:08:03Z Birds and bats enhance cacao yield despite suppressing arthropod mesopredation Ocampo Ariza, Carolina Vansynghel, Justine Bertleff, Denise Maas, Bea Schumacher, Nils-Christian Ulloque-Samatelo, Carlos Yovera, Fredy F. Thomas, Evert Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf Tscharntke, Teja formicidae pest control theobroma cacao agroforestry ecosystem services Bird- and bat-mediated biocontrol benefits the productivity of tropicalcommodity crops such as cacao, but the ecological interactions drivingthese ecosystem services remain poorly understood. Whereas birds and batsprey on herbivorous arthropods, they may also prey on arthropodmesopredators such as ants, with poorly understood consequences for pestbiocontrol. We used a full-factorial experiment excluding birds, bats, andants to assess their effects on (a) the abundanceof multiple arthropodgroups; (b) predation pressure on arthropods evaluated through artificialsentinel caterpillars; and (c) cacao yield over 1 year in shaded agroforestrysystems of native cacao varieties in Peru. Birds and bats increasedcacao yield by 118%, which translates in smallholder benefits of ca.US $959 ha−1year−1. Birds and bats decreased predation by ants and otherarthropods, but contributed to thecontrol of phytophagous taxa such asaphids and mealybugs. By contrast, ant presence increased the abundanceof these sap-sucking insects, with negative impacts for cacao yield.Notably, high abundances of the dominant antNylanderiasp., known toattend sap-sucking insects, were associated with lower cacao yield along adistance gradient from the closest forest edge. According to these results,arthropod predation by birds and bats, rather than mesopredation byarthropods, was most responsible forincreases in cacao yield. Moving for-ward, detailed research about their trophic interactions will be necessary toidentify the cause of such benefits. Retaining and restoring the large bene-fits of birds and bats as well as minimizing disservices by other taxa incacao agroforests can benefit from management schemes that prioritizepreservation of shade trees and adjacent forests within agroforestrylandscapes. 2023-07 2023-06-01T07:45:57Z 2023-06-01T07:45:57Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130569 en Open Access application/pdf Wiley Ocampo-Ariza, C.; Vansynghel, J.; Bertleff, D.; Maas, B.; Schumacher, N.; Ulloque-Samatelo, C.; Yovera, F.F.; Thomas, E.; Steffan-Dewenter, I.; Tscharntke, T. (2023) Birds and bats enhance cacao yield despite suppressing arthropod mesopredation. Ecological Applications 33(5):e2886. ISSN: 1051-0761 |
| spellingShingle | formicidae pest control theobroma cacao agroforestry ecosystem services Ocampo Ariza, Carolina Vansynghel, Justine Bertleff, Denise Maas, Bea Schumacher, Nils-Christian Ulloque-Samatelo, Carlos Yovera, Fredy F. Thomas, Evert Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf Tscharntke, Teja Birds and bats enhance cacao yield despite suppressing arthropod mesopredation |
| title | Birds and bats enhance cacao yield despite suppressing arthropod mesopredation |
| title_full | Birds and bats enhance cacao yield despite suppressing arthropod mesopredation |
| title_fullStr | Birds and bats enhance cacao yield despite suppressing arthropod mesopredation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Birds and bats enhance cacao yield despite suppressing arthropod mesopredation |
| title_short | Birds and bats enhance cacao yield despite suppressing arthropod mesopredation |
| title_sort | birds and bats enhance cacao yield despite suppressing arthropod mesopredation |
| topic | formicidae pest control theobroma cacao agroforestry ecosystem services |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130569 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ocampoarizacarolina birdsandbatsenhancecacaoyielddespitesuppressingarthropodmesopredation AT vansyngheljustine birdsandbatsenhancecacaoyielddespitesuppressingarthropodmesopredation AT bertleffdenise birdsandbatsenhancecacaoyielddespitesuppressingarthropodmesopredation AT maasbea birdsandbatsenhancecacaoyielddespitesuppressingarthropodmesopredation AT schumachernilschristian birdsandbatsenhancecacaoyielddespitesuppressingarthropodmesopredation AT ulloquesamatelocarlos birdsandbatsenhancecacaoyielddespitesuppressingarthropodmesopredation AT yoverafredyf birdsandbatsenhancecacaoyielddespitesuppressingarthropodmesopredation AT thomasevert birdsandbatsenhancecacaoyielddespitesuppressingarthropodmesopredation AT steffandewenteringolf birdsandbatsenhancecacaoyielddespitesuppressingarthropodmesopredation AT tscharntketeja birdsandbatsenhancecacaoyielddespitesuppressingarthropodmesopredation |