The Role of Rustic Coffee Plantations in the Conservation of Wild Tree Diversity in the Chinantec Region of Mexico

background

This study examines the potential of shade coffee systems to promote native tree diversity across the landscape of southern Mexico.

Research Goals & Methods

Twenty-two coffee plantations, representing a range of elevation and age of development, were sampled to assess their species compositions. In total, 45 species (34 tree species) were recorded in the plantations, and 77% of them were native species.

Conclusions & Takeaways

Only two species, I. latibracteata and C. alliodora, occurred in over 75% of the plantations; however, 37 species occurred in less than one third of the plantations. Recently established coffee plantations on old secondary growth stands were more likely to harbor certain mature-forest tree species. Due to the lack on homogeneity among coffee plantations in terms of age of establishment and shade species, the authors emphasize the importance of considering the overall diversity of species that is conserved in plantations across the landscape, not just within a single plantation.