degree that they no longer support forest biodiversity
and thus represent a form of habitat loss, just as the
cutting of forest for soybean production does.
It has been long recognized that rustic coffee
production acts to preserve local biodiversity. But
as noted above, some plantations are not rustic, but
instead utilize a single species of canopy tree, in many
cases Inga. Studies have demonstrated that rustic
coffee plantations act to maintain high species richness
of birds, essentially the same as that of any local forest.
In plantations that have an overstory of purely Inga or
Gliricidia, considerably fewer species occur than in
mature forests. In other words, as coffee plantations are
structurally simplified, bird species richness declines,
especially in sun- grown coffee plantations.
As forests are converted to grow increasingly sun-
adapted cultivars of coffee, biodiversity is lost. It is
clearly possible to continue to grow coffee in a manner
in which that outcome is prevented. Shade coffee is
not the same as undisturbed forest, but it has clearly
demonstrated the potential to maintain a reasonably
high biodiversity. Efforts by conservationists to
promote the use of shade coffee and develop a
market for a coffee product that does not deplete
biodiversity are ongoing. But problems exist with the
pragmatics and economics of shade coffee. Typically,
it is considered to be premium coffee and costs more
at the store. There is also the matter of certification.
How does one know that the coffee is really shade
coffee? There must be some form of enforcement in
the field to assure that the coffee really is shade coffee.
Certification programs differ, so “certified” for one
brand of shade coffee may mean something different
from that label to another. For example, some
certification programs exclude shaded monocultures
while others do not. Nonetheless, if the challenges of
social and economic factors are met successfully, there
is little question of the potential value of shade coffee
production to sustain much biodiversity. To that end,
if you are eager to support conservation efforts in the
Neotropics, switch to consuming shade- grown coffee.
Be aware that most commonly sold coffee brands
(including coffee served in various restaurant outlets
specializing in coffee products) are not shade grown.
But there are organic shade- grown coffee dealers and
a quick check on the Internet will take you to several
websites. Various brands of shade- grown coffee are
sold on Amazon.Ethnobotany
Native peoples in the tropics have generations of
experience with plant and animal defense compounds.
It is not surprising that indigenous people have
found multiple uses for the diverse array of chemicals
contained within the many species of native flora and
fauna. Chemicals have been extracted for use in arrow
(dart) poisons, hallucinogens, fish poisons, drugs
for medical and related use, stimulants and spices,
essential oils, and pigments.Plate 17- 11. This is the same area in Belize some years later,
when some of the canopy trees were removed to permit more
sunlight for coffee growth. The dense coffee understory is
readily evident, but the forest’s biodiversity has been reduced.
Photo by John Kricher.Plate 17- 10. This rustic coffee plantation near Gallon Jug,
in western Belize, is representative of a traditional coffee-
growing approach. There is a dense canopy of indigenous
trees, and the biodiversity of this plantation is high. Photo by
John Kricher.
372 chapter 17 human ecology in the tropics