Research
Tree-rich landscapes help birds and bats nearly double cacao yields in Peru
Phys.org ·
The Brief
- An international team led by the University of Vienna, with the universities of Göttingen and Würzburg and Bioversity International, studied cacao farming in Peru.
- The study reports that tree-rich landscapes are linked to birds and bats nearly doubling cacao yields.
- The research challenges the common expectation that tropical farmers must choose between high crop yields and protecting wildlife.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that keeping trees in farmed landscapes may support both wildlife and crop yields, which is relevant to how agricultural systems are planned and managed.
Who’s affected
- tropical farmers and agricultural planners
- conservation researchers and ecologists
- #cacao
- #agroforestry
- #biodiversity
- #pollination
- #tropical agriculture
Tropical farmers are often expected to choose between high crop yields and protecting wildlife. However, an international team of researchers led by the University of Vienna, in collaboration with the universities of Göttingen and Würzburg in Germany and Bioversity International…