Birds and other biodiversity

Birds and other biodiversity / Research on coffee growing

Research: Shade coffee important to amphibians

The role of the matrix-edge dynamics of amphibian conservation in tropical montane fragmented landscapes. 2011. Santos-Barrera and Urbina-Cardona. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad.

Birds, insects, and occasionally bats are the most frequently studied taxa in shade coffee agrosystems. This paper looked at the diversity and abundance of frogs and salamanders in an area of tropical montane cloud forest, shade coffee farms, and corn plantations in southern Mexico.

The Pygmy Free-fingered Frog (Craugastor pygmaeus) was one of the most common species found in this study, and one which dominated in shade coffee. © 2010 Division of Herpetology, University of Kansas

The study took place near the community of El Molote in the state of Guerrero, part of the Sierra Madre de Sur de Guerrero. Montane forest remnants are embedded in a matrix of other land uses, primarily shade coffee, corn plantations, and areas of cultivated ornamental plants.

Researchers found that the diversity and abundance of amphibians in the forest was highly dependent on what type of land was adjacent to it — coffee or corn. Where shaded coffee plantations bordered forest patches, they helped to buffer the effects of the forest edge, improving the overall quality of the forest interior habitat. Amphibians prefer higher humidity and leaf litter cover which the shade coffee helped preserve, both in the forest and on the farms.

In contrast, where corn bordered the forest, high disturbance and the abrupt change in vegetation had a negative impact on habitat quality. None of the seven amphibian species were found in the corn plantations, and some species, including an endangered endemic frog, the Mourning Treefrog (Plectrohyla pentheter), were never found in the corn/forest ecotone.

The authors recommend that shade coffee farms should be managed to improve habitat and ecological connectivity.

Santos-Barrera, G., & Urbina-Cardona, J. N. (2011). The role of the matrix-edge dynamics of amphibian conservation in tropical montane fragmented landscapes. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 82, 679-687

Birds and other biodiversity / Know Your Coffee Birds series

Know your coffee birds: Hispaniola’s Palm-Tanagers

Black-crowned Palm-Tanager. Photo by Pat Johnson, taken during field work he performed with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. VCE has done incredible work in Hispaniola.

There are two species of palm-tanagers (Phaenicophilus) found on Hispaniola, the island comprised of the Dominican Republic (DR) and Haiti.  One is the widespread Black-crowned Palm-Tanager (P. palmarum). The other is the only species of bird unique to Haiti: the Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager (P. poliocephalus). The latter is restricted primarily to the Tiburon Peninsula, the long arm of land in that forms the southeast coastline of the island, where it replaces the Black-crowned. At one time, the peninsula was separated from the rest of the island by the sea, allowing many endemic species to evolve. It is believed this is when the Black-crowned and Gray-crowned Palm-Tanagers diverged into two species. The two species are similar, with the Gray-crowned having (as you may have guessed) a gray rather than black crown, less white on the throat, and some smaller physical features.

Both of these resident species will use many kinds of forest habitats, from humid deciduous to pine, from sea level to upper montane elevations over 2000 meters. They will also use well-vegetated gardens and farms. In many regions, this adaptability would provide the birds with some habitat security. However, deforestation has been so severe on Hispaniola that in many places wooded areas, including agroforests, are so fragmented, degraded, or just plain uncommon that many forest bird species are struggling. The situation is particularly precarious in Haiti, where it is estimated that only 1.5% of the original forested areas survive.

The palm-tanagers forage on insects, often found in dead leaves or under bark, and some fruit. During the non-breeding season, Black-crowned Palm-Tanagers are typically found alone or in pairs, while Gray-crowned Palm-Tanagers are often found in groups of four to six birds.

Portrait of a Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager on a Haitian postage stamp.

Gray-crowned Palm-Tanagers (known locally as “Kat Je Sid” or “Cuatro Ojos”) really deserve special mention. They are locally common on the Tiburon Peninsula, especially in Pic Macaya National Park — little is known about their current status outside this tenuously-protected area. In fact, recent research has not revealed conclusive evidence that they occur east of a line extending south from Port-a-Prince, but historical reports indicate that their range may extend closer to the DR border.

A combination of reforestation and agroforestry crops such as shade coffee would certainly facilitate the conservation of this species. Coffee is produced in the Pic Macaya region. At one point it was roasted and sold by Barrington Coffee Roasting (see our review), Irving Farm Coffee, and Wicked Joe, but I could not find it available at the time of this writing.

However, shade coffee is currently being produced and exported by the Cooparative des Planteurs de Café de l’Arrondissement de Belle-Anse (COOPCAB) based in Thiotte, close to the DR border. This is a group of seven cooperatives representing 5000+ members. It is typica coffee grown at 1300-1350 m in mixed pine forest near Gras Cheval, north of Thiotte, and is usually branded as Blue Forest coffee. It is being most widely promoted and distributed by La Colombe Torrefaction. La Colombe is assisting COOPCAB in getting Rainforest Alliance certification.

The pine forests are critical for endangered Hispaniolan Crossbill, Loxia megaplaga, an island endemic. This bird, once considered a subspecies of the White-winged Crossbill of northern coniferous forests, feeds exclusively on the seeds of Hispaniolan pine (Pinus occidentalis). Forested areas in Haiti and the DR are also essential to North American migrant birds, especially the rare Bicknell’s Thrush. Birds do not represent the only important or unique species that rely on Haiti’s dwindling habitats. The country is host to many other endemic species, including one of the smallest frogs in the world.

The importance of income-producing, habitat-restoring agriculture to Hispaniola’s people, flora, and fauna cannot be underestimated. Given its history and potential, shade coffee is an excellent candidate.

Learn more:

Literature:

McDonald, M. A., and M. H. Smith. 1994.  Behavioral and morphological correlates of heterochrony in Hipaniolan Palm-Tanagers.  Condor 96: 433-446.

Sly, N. D., Townsend,  A. K., Rimmer, C. C., Townsend, J. M., Latta, S., and I. J. Lovette. 2010. Phylogeography and conservation genetics of the Hispaniolan endemic Palm-tanagers (Aves: Phaenicophilus). Conservation Genetics 11: 2121-2129.

Rimmer, C. C., Townsend, J. M., Townsend, A. K., Fernandez, E. M., and J. Alamonte. 2005. Avian diversity, abundance, and conservation status in the Macaya Biosphere Reserve of Haita. Ornithologia Neotropical 16:219-230.

Townsend, J. M. 2009. Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager (Phaenicophilus poliocephalus), Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Ed). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; retrieved from Neotropical Birds Online: http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=46132

Birds and other biodiversity / Coffee regions

Cloud forest coffee at Finca El Jaguar

Because of the elevation of the farm and transpiration of the surrounding cloud forest, El Jaguar is covered with these misty clouds for at least a portion of nearly every day. Light levels and humidity, therefore, do not allow the coffee itself to be grown under multiple layers of shade, such as would be required by Smithsonian Bird-Friendly certification. Yields would decline and fungal diseases would increase. Rather, 80% of the property has been set aside in cloud forest reserve, and multiple bird research projects take place here since the owners are dedicated to conservation. El Jaguar is Rainforest Alliance certified.

Finca El Jaguar is located in northern Jinotega, Nicaragua, about 188 km north of the capital Managua. The property (Reserva Silvestre Privada El Jaguar) was acquired in 1991 by Georges Duriaux and Liliana Chavarria from Lili’s brother.  At about 100 ha (247 ac), it is both a private reserve registered with the Nicaraguan ministry of natural resources, and a coffee farm. Eighty ha of the farm is preserved forest, and 20 ha are in coffee.

Coffee in shadows of foreground, a portion of the large forest reserve in the background.

The coffee consists of caturra and some catuai grown at 1300 to 1350 meters. El Jaguar has been certified by Rainforest Alliance since 2006, and Allegro Coffee (owned by Whole Foods) is the exclusive buyer. The farm employs 15 to 20 people year-round, and 30 to 40 additional people during coffee harvest. Of particular pride to Georges and Lili is the fact that several of the workers’ children are involved in bird research activities.

Over 270 bird species have been recorded at El Jaguar. More than 50 are Neotropical migrants (those that primarily breed in the U.S. and Canada and winter in the tropics), including an amazing 27 species of “our” warblers — Golden-winged Warbler, the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler, and the Cerulean Warbler among them. Due to this rich bird life, El Jaguar was designated as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International in 2006.

In addition to preserving habitat and providing eco-lodging for birders, Georges and Lili have worked tirelessly on bird conservation projects. Since 2002, they have operated two of the eleven wintering bird banding stations in Nicaragua that are part of the important MoSI project (Monitoreo de Sobrevivencia Invernal — Monitoring Overwintering Survival).  One is in the forest, and one in the coffee production area. This project is an essential tool that enables researchers to gain insight into what bird species winter in an area, the habitats they use, and their overwinter survival. A sister project monitors resident birds from April to October.

This is the coffee, planted with bananas and other trees, next to the bird banding station in the coffee area.

Georges and Lili Duriaux—Chavarria record bird data.

Additionally, Georges and Lili are involved in special projects including the Golden-winged Warbler Working Group and similar project to benefit the Wood Thrush.

The colorful Rufous-winged Tanager (Tangara lavinia) was just one of the birds banded in the forest reserve during our visit.

Jean-Yves Duriaux, a recent graduate of EARTH University, has a wealth of knowledge about sustainable agronomy he is applying to the farm.

Until recently, El Jaguar’s coffee was also certified organic. Due to burdensome new (?) rules that we heard about in multiple places, their ability to adequately fertilize their coffee by organic means meant that they had to make the difficult decision to drop organic certification. This is being repeated at other farms in Nicaragua, and will be the topic of another post. Georges and Lili, and their son Jean-Yves who is managing the farm, are still just committed to conserving biodiversity. This year’s increased yield (over triple last year’s, due in large part to using conventional fertilizers) provided the income needed to continue preserving the current forest acreage and stay afloat.

During our visit, we talked a lot about Rainforest Alliance certification.  The Duriaux—Chavarria’s were enthusiastic supporters, and it gave us much-needed perspective on the impact of RA certification on the ground. Although El Jaguar has had long-term contracts with Allegro for years, they explained that RA certification strengthens their position and helps them negotiate a better price. The certification process improves quality and sustainability, and RA provides guidance and assistance. In fact, RA has held workshops at El Jaguar for neighboring farmers, and the next step is working with them to get them certified. This dovetails with training Georges and Lili have already provided to neighbors on biological resources and sustainable production, as well as a grant they received to help provide native trees to reforest nearby properties and encourage other farmers to pursue certification.

Coffee was already flowering last week at El Jaguar.

There are challenges ahead for El Jaguar and other coffee producers. Of note was the fact that the weather, influenced by La Nina conditions, caused early flowering and fruiting. Harvest was early this season, and complete by the time we arrived. Meanwhile, the coffee was again beginning to flower while we were there, which means the next harvest will be around two months earlier than “usual.” Café loco.

As we did two years ago, we also stayed at Finca Esperanza Verde. At a few hundred meters lower in elevation, the coffee all over that area was greatly defoliated by fungal disease, also exacerbated by wet weather. They are usually treated with copper-based fungicides. Some of these have typically been permitted under organic certification, but, again, we heard that now farmers were told they were not allowed to use them. If that’s really the case, it’s hard to see how producers will be able to afford to keep organic certification.

Read more about El Jaguar, birds, shade coffee, and Georges and Lili in this wonderful Audubon Magazine article.

UPDATE: Read about how Finca El Jaguar is now a model farm for sustainabilty in a project spearheaded by Jean-Yves!

Birds and other biodiversity / Know Your Coffee Birds series

Know your coffee birds: Wilson’s Warbler

The tiny, bright yellow bird that John  James Audubon called “Wilson’s Flycatching Warbler” breeds in a large swath all across northern North America. Wilson’s Warblers winter in much of Central America, and so pass through most of the continent at some point during the year. Molecular studies have shown that certain breeding populations winter in specific geographic areas. For instance, the most northerly-breeding birds of the western population winter the furthest south in Central America.

Females have duller caps.

One of the original names of Wilson’s Warbler was “Pileolated Warbler” after the male’s striking black skullcap, or pileum. As one of the warblers that has a flattish bill bordered by specialized feather “whiskers” to aid in the capture of small insects, the descriptor of “flycatching” or “flycatcher” was added to its name several times through history. Because he was the first to formally publish a description, ornithologist Alexander Wilson is now honored in the common name.

In the breeding season, the typical habitat of Wilson’s Warblers is dense thickets, especially moist ones in riparian areas. In the winter, however, it can be found in a much wider variety of habitats, which are often more open than nesting habitats. It is most abundant in tropical forests, cloud forest, pine-oak forest, and forest edge habitat, and is frequently found on coffee farms.

While many bird species tend to be somewhat set in their behavior at certain times of the year, wintering Wilson’s Warblers may be solitary, either roaming through a locality or forming a territory, or found in mixed flocks of other birds.  In addition to insects and some fruit, nectar is also consumed in winter. This flexibility in habitat requirements, behavior, and food resources has no doubt contributed to the success of Wilson’s Warblers, which remain one of our most common warblers. Yet recent population trends indicate numbers have declined 2% a year in the U.S., and over 4% a year in the eastern U.S. in recent decades. This is a well-studied species, but we need to know more to understand how to best conserve them. Unfortunately, we often neglect to take action with common species until serious problems are evident.

We have found Wilson’s Warblers common on coffee farms we visited in Panama and Nicaragua. We are about to travel once again to Nicaragua, where we will spend time at Finca El Jaguar in Jinotega, and once again visit to Finca Esperanza Verde in San Ramon, Matagalpa. You’ll be hearing more about our trip soon!

Top male Wilson’s Warbler photo by David Hofmann, female by Jean-Guy Dallaire, and bottom male by Pablo Leautaud, all under a Creative Commons license.