Bats and birds increase crop yield in tropical agroforestry landscapes

Human welfare is significantly linked to ecosystem services such as the suppression of pest insects by birds and bats. However, effects of biocontrol services on tropical cash crop yield are still largely unknown. For the first time, we manipulated the access of birds and bats in an exclosure experi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology letters 2013-12, Vol.16 (12), p.1480-1487
Main Authors: Maas, Bea, Clough, Yann, Tscharntke, Teja
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural and farming systems
Agricultural production
Agriculture
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Animal and plant ecology
Animal populations
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Araneae
Arthropoda
Arthropods
Aves
Bats
Biodiversity conservation
Biological and medical sciences
biological control
Birds
Cacao - growth & development
Chiroptera
Conservation of Natural Resources
ecosystem services
exclosure field experiment
Food Chain
Forests
Formicidae
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping
General agronomy. Plant production
General aspects
Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development
Herbivory
Indonesia
land-use management
Landscape ecology
Linear Models
Mammalia
mesopredators
multitrophic interactions
Predatory Behavior
shade cover
Southeast Asia
Theobroma cacao
Tropical Climate
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
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Summary:Human welfare is significantly linked to ecosystem services such as the suppression of pest insects by birds and bats. However, effects of biocontrol services on tropical cash crop yield are still largely unknown. For the first time, we manipulated the access of birds and bats in an exclosure experiment (day, night and full exclosures compared to open controls in Indonesian cacao agroforestry) and quantified the arthropod communities, the fruit development and the final yield over a long time period (15 months). We found that bat and bird exclusion increased insect herbivore abundance, despite the concurrent release of mesopredators such as ants and spiders, and negatively affected fruit development, with final crop yield decreasing by 31% across local (shade cover) and landscape (distance to primary forest) gradients. Our results highlight the tremendous economic impact of common insectivorous birds and bats, which need to become an essential part of sustainable landscape management.
ISSN:1461-023X
1461-0248
DOI:10.1111/ele.12194