Native shade trees in coffee plantations vital for diversity, abundance of birds, says study
The Hindu
‘Alteration of canopy, woody plant composition can influence pattern of functional composition of resident birds’
Verdant coffee and tea plantations are more than an ideal backdrop for photos; they support a thriving avian population. In a study that underscores the need to understand the patterns and drivers of bird species composition and diversity outside Protected Area (PA) networks to develop landscape-level conservation strategies, researchers found that they varied in differently-managed plantations.
The findings were the result of collaborative work by Kannur University, Kerala, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru, and Ferns Nature Conservation Society, Wayanad. It was published in July 2021.
Focussing on the coffee plantations in the Western Ghats, which are an important agro-ecosystem and help maintain a significant portion of regional avian diversity, the researchers compared the composition and functional diversity of resident birds between shade and open coffee plantations.