Evidence of time-lag in the provision of ecosystem services by tropical regenerating forests to coffee yields

Author(s)

Gonzalez-Chaves, Adrian David ; Carvalheiro, Luisa Gigante ; Piffer, Pedro Ribero ; d'Albertas, Francisco ; Giannini, Tereza Cristina ; Viana, Blandina Felipe ; Metzger, Jean Paul

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS; v. 18, n. 2, p. 11-pg., 2023-02-01.

Abstract

Restoration of native tropical forests is crucial for protecting biodiversity and ecosystem functions, such as carbon stock capacity. However, little is known about the contribution of early stages of forest regeneration to crop productivity through the enhancement of ecosystem services, such as crop pollination and pest control. Using data from 610 municipalities along the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (30 m spatial resolution), we evaluated if young regenerating forests (YRFs) (less than 20 years old) are positively associated with coffee yield and whether such a relationship depends on the amount of preserved forest in the surroundings of the coffee fields. We found that regenerating forest alone was not associated with variations in coffee yields. However, the presence of YRF (within a 500 m buffer) was positively related to higher coffee yields when the amount of preserved forest in a 2 km buffer is above a 20% threshold cover. These results further reinforce that regional coffee yields are influenced by changes in biodiversity-mediated ecosystem services, which are explained by the amount of mature forest in the surrounding of coffee fields. We argue that while regenerating fragments may contribute to increased connectivity between remnants of forest fragments and crop fields in landscapes with a minimum amount of forest (20%), older preserved forests (more than 20 years) are essential for sustaining pollinator and pest enemy's populations. These results highlight the potential time lag of at least 20 years of regenerating forests' in contributing to the provision of ecosystem services that affect coffee yields (e.g. pollination and pest control). We emphasize the need to implement public policies that promote ecosystem restoration and ensure the permanence of these new forests over time. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/23457-6 - Interface project: relationships among landscape structure, ecological processes, biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Grantee: Jean Paul Walter Metzger
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/19411-1 - Bee conservation and pollination service provision: using a landscape approach to reach a common goal
• Grantee: Adrian David González Chaves
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/06330-6 - Forest cover and isolation affect annual coffee productivity in the Atlantic Forest region
• Grantee: Adrian David González Chaves
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/22881-2 - Paths to ecological intensification trough restoration and agricultural certification
• Grantee: Francisco d'Albertas Gomes de Carvalho
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate