Effects of functional diversity on ecosystem services in cocoa agroforestry systems in Costa Rica

Cocoa agroforestry systems (AFS) provide multiple ecosystem services, which are influenced by features of the shade tree community. By strategically selecting and managing shade trees based on their functional traits, cocoa farmers can affect functional diversity of AFS and potentially enhance the b...

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Autores principales: Pinheiro Edelstein, Cassio, Isaac, Marney E, Orozco-Aguilar, Luis, Peguero, Felipe, Delgado-Rodríguez, Diego, Cerda, Rolando H
Formato: Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Frontiers 2025
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Acceso en línea:https://repositorio.catie.ac.cr/handle/11554/12722
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author Pinheiro Edelstein, Cassio
Isaac, Marney E
Orozco-Aguilar, Luis
Peguero, Felipe
Delgado-Rodríguez, Diego
Cerda, Rolando H
author_browse Cerda, Rolando H
Delgado-Rodríguez, Diego
Isaac, Marney E
Orozco-Aguilar, Luis
Peguero, Felipe
Pinheiro Edelstein, Cassio
author_facet Pinheiro Edelstein, Cassio
Isaac, Marney E
Orozco-Aguilar, Luis
Peguero, Felipe
Delgado-Rodríguez, Diego
Cerda, Rolando H
author_sort Pinheiro Edelstein, Cassio
collection Repositorio CATIE
description Cocoa agroforestry systems (AFS) provide multiple ecosystem services, which are influenced by features of the shade tree community. By strategically selecting and managing shade trees based on their functional traits, cocoa farmers can affect functional diversity of AFS and potentially enhance the benefits they deliver. In this research, we applied functional trait ecology to better understand the effect of functional diversity of cocoa AFS on three ecosystem services: carbon storage, soil fertility, and provisioning of cocoa and other products. To achieve this, we characterized 30 AFS across a gradient of ecological complexity and established relationships between functional diversityw indices and ecosystem services using ANOVA and multiple regression models. As a result, two contrasting ecological dynamics were observed: low-complexity AFS, dominated by resource-conservative traits (higher leaf dry matter content, higher stem specific density, and low leaf nitrogen concentration), were associated with lower carbon stocks and soil fertility, while high-complexity AFS, characterized by resource-acquisitive traits (low leaf dry matter content, low stem specific density, and high leaf nitrogen concentration), delivered greater ecosystem services. Through the multiple regression analysis, we found that AFS dominated by species with greater maximum potential height, greater leaf nitrogen concentration, lower leaf dry matter content, lower leaf mass per area, and lower leaf nitrogen-phosphorus ratio were associated with higher carbon storage (R2 = 0.84), soil fertility (R2 = 0.7 for soil nitrogen), and multiple ecosystem services (R2 = 0.78). Additionally, cocoa yields were negatively correlated with shade cover and the dominance of large-leaf shade trees, revealing a potential trade-off between maximizing yields and enhancing ecosystem services. Nevertheless, the models indicated that a win-win scenario can be achieved when shade trees are productive, generating additional benefits. Finally, our study highlights critical relationships between shade tree traits and delivery of key ecosystem services for farm sustainability and farmer livelihoods.
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institution Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza
language Inglés
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
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spelling RepoCATIE127222025-02-06T00:21:32Z Effects of functional diversity on ecosystem services in cocoa agroforestry systems in Costa Rica Pinheiro Edelstein, Cassio Isaac, Marney E Orozco-Aguilar, Luis Peguero, Felipe Delgado-Rodríguez, Diego Cerda, Rolando H Agroecología||agroecology||undefined||agroécologie Agroecosistemas||agroecosystems||agroecossistema||agroécosystème Agricultura sostenible||sustainable agriculture||agricultura sustentável||agriculture durable Theobroma cacao||Theobroma cacao||Theobroma cacao||Theobroma cacao Sede Central ODS 11 - Ciudades y comunidades sostenibles ODS 15 - Vida de ecosistemas terrestres Cocoa agroforestry systems (AFS) provide multiple ecosystem services, which are influenced by features of the shade tree community. By strategically selecting and managing shade trees based on their functional traits, cocoa farmers can affect functional diversity of AFS and potentially enhance the benefits they deliver. In this research, we applied functional trait ecology to better understand the effect of functional diversity of cocoa AFS on three ecosystem services: carbon storage, soil fertility, and provisioning of cocoa and other products. To achieve this, we characterized 30 AFS across a gradient of ecological complexity and established relationships between functional diversityw indices and ecosystem services using ANOVA and multiple regression models. As a result, two contrasting ecological dynamics were observed: low-complexity AFS, dominated by resource-conservative traits (higher leaf dry matter content, higher stem specific density, and low leaf nitrogen concentration), were associated with lower carbon stocks and soil fertility, while high-complexity AFS, characterized by resource-acquisitive traits (low leaf dry matter content, low stem specific density, and high leaf nitrogen concentration), delivered greater ecosystem services. Through the multiple regression analysis, we found that AFS dominated by species with greater maximum potential height, greater leaf nitrogen concentration, lower leaf dry matter content, lower leaf mass per area, and lower leaf nitrogen-phosphorus ratio were associated with higher carbon storage (R2 = 0.84), soil fertility (R2 = 0.7 for soil nitrogen), and multiple ecosystem services (R2 = 0.78). Additionally, cocoa yields were negatively correlated with shade cover and the dominance of large-leaf shade trees, revealing a potential trade-off between maximizing yields and enhancing ecosystem services. Nevertheless, the models indicated that a win-win scenario can be achieved when shade trees are productive, generating additional benefits. Finally, our study highlights critical relationships between shade tree traits and delivery of key ecosystem services for farm sustainability and farmer livelihoods. 2025-02-04T18:34:30Z 2025-02-04T18:34:30Z 2025-01-08 Artículo https://repositorio.catie.ac.cr/handle/11554/12722 openAccess en Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1507555 15 páginas application/pdf Frontiers
spellingShingle Agroecología||agroecology||undefined||agroécologie
Agroecosistemas||agroecosystems||agroecossistema||agroécosystème
Agricultura sostenible||sustainable agriculture||agricultura sustentável||agriculture durable
Theobroma cacao||Theobroma cacao||Theobroma cacao||Theobroma cacao
Sede Central
ODS 11 - Ciudades y comunidades sostenibles
ODS 15 - Vida de ecosistemas terrestres
Pinheiro Edelstein, Cassio
Isaac, Marney E
Orozco-Aguilar, Luis
Peguero, Felipe
Delgado-Rodríguez, Diego
Cerda, Rolando H
Effects of functional diversity on ecosystem services in cocoa agroforestry systems in Costa Rica
title Effects of functional diversity on ecosystem services in cocoa agroforestry systems in Costa Rica
title_full Effects of functional diversity on ecosystem services in cocoa agroforestry systems in Costa Rica
title_fullStr Effects of functional diversity on ecosystem services in cocoa agroforestry systems in Costa Rica
title_full_unstemmed Effects of functional diversity on ecosystem services in cocoa agroforestry systems in Costa Rica
title_short Effects of functional diversity on ecosystem services in cocoa agroforestry systems in Costa Rica
title_sort effects of functional diversity on ecosystem services in cocoa agroforestry systems in costa rica
topic Agroecología||agroecology||undefined||agroécologie
Agroecosistemas||agroecosystems||agroecossistema||agroécosystème
Agricultura sostenible||sustainable agriculture||agricultura sustentável||agriculture durable
Theobroma cacao||Theobroma cacao||Theobroma cacao||Theobroma cacao
Sede Central
ODS 11 - Ciudades y comunidades sostenibles
ODS 15 - Vida de ecosistemas terrestres
url https://repositorio.catie.ac.cr/handle/11554/12722
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