Phyllostomid bat diversity in a variegated coffee landscape

Published source details Numa C., Verdú J.R. & Sánchez-Palomino P. (2005) Phyllostomid bat diversity in a variegated coffee landscape. Biological Conservation, 122, 151-158.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Retain or plant native trees and shrubs amongst crops (agroforestry) Action Link

Retain or plant native trees and shrubs amongst crops (agroforestry)

A replicated, site comparison study in 1999–2000 of 18 sites in coffee plantations and forest fragments in the Central Andes, Columbia (Numa et al. 2005) found that there was no significant difference in bat species richness in shaded and unshaded coffee plantations. Bat species richness overall was similar in shaded coffee (14 species) and unshaded coffee plantations (12 species). In landscapes dominated by shaded coffee, there was no significant difference in bat species richness between shaded (9.4 species) or unshaded coffee plantations (9.8 species) and native forest fragments (9.9 species). However, in landscapes dominated by unshaded coffee plantations, bat species richness was higher in native forest fragments (14.6 species) than in shaded (9.4 species) or unshaded coffee plantations (7.9 species). Six sites of each habitat type were surveyed (shaded coffee, unshaded coffee, and native forest fragments). Shaded coffee plantations had native shade trees. Unshaded plantations were coffee monocultures with no trees or containing just isolated trees. Bats were sampled with 50–80 m of mist nets for three consecutive nights/site between October 1999 and February 2000.

(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)