Causes and Consequences of Diversity, Complexity, and Autonomous Ecosystem Services in Coffee Agriculture.

[摘要] Agricultural production systems are made up of ecological communities that contribute to ecosystem processes. However, the importance of ecological complexity in the form of diversity, food chain length, and non-trophic interactions is not often recognized because the use of other agricultural technologies often requires simple monoculture ecosystems. This dissertation suggests that the intensification of agriculture at small and large scales limits the diversity of species and modifies the ecological functioning of some species independent of abundance. Focusing on pest control services in shade-coffee plantations, this dissertation also provides examples of how ant pest-control services are dependent on the diversity of pest species and the indirect effects of neighboring mutualistic species. These studies highlight that many species provide valuable functions to agricultural production under certain contexts and that future studies should consider more realistic designs that mimic the complexity of ecological communities.

[发布机构] University of Michigan

[效力级别] Natural Resources and Environment

[关键词] Coffee Agroecology;Natural Resources and Environment;Science;Natural Resources and Environment