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Predatory beetles in cacao agroforestry systems in Brazilian Atlantic forest: a test of the natural enemy hypothesis

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Abstract

The natural enemy hypothesis predicts a positive correlation between plant species diversity and natural enemy control. This study aimed to evaluate the role of traditional cacao agroforests, known as “cabrucas,” on the conservation of the predatory beetle community compared to that of monodominant rubber agroforests. Predatory beetles were sampled in three habitats in Southeastern Bahia, Brazil: cabrucas and rubber agroforests and native Atlantic forests. In each habitat, 18 10 m2 plots were established, in which canopy cover was measured and beetles were sampled with a modified Malaise/window trap. Land use intensification did not affect the composition of predatory beetles, with the presence of widely distributed species that are also capable of colonizing simpler environments such as the rubber agroforest. Canopy cover had a positive effect on generalist predator diversity and we observed a reduction in the abundance and species richness of generalist predators with increasing habitat homogenization. Despite the simplified structure of the habitat, the remaining tree diversity and canopy cover in cabrucas supported a community of generalist predators similar to the one found in the native forest. Species diversity of bark beetle predators was higher in cabrucas, which may be due to the high diversity of bark beetles and the favorable abiotic conditions, whereas the low abundance of prey in the native forest and severe abiotic conditions in the rubber agroforest probably determined the lower diversity of generalist predators in these habitats. Cabrucas play an important role in the conservation, supporting a community of predatory beetles more similar to the one found in native forest and that is more effective at controlling populations of herbivores than in homogeneous rubber agroforests.

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Acknowledgments

We thank H. Brant, R. Mello, F. Pacelhe and G. Monteiro for field help. We thank the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel for research grants awarded during the development of this study. Finally, we thank the Una Biological Reserve/Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation for all the physical structure and logistical support. This work was in fulfillment for the master dissertation of SMAN, and was financially supported by Brazilian National Research Council, Minas Gerais Research Support Foundation and Bahia Research Support Foundation DTE0036/2013 (5334/2013).

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  1. Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil

    Samuel M. A. Novais, Luiz E. Macedo-Reis & Frederico S. Neves

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  1. Samuel M. A. Novais
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  2. Luiz E. Macedo-Reis
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  3. Frederico S. Neves
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Correspondence to Samuel M. A. Novais.

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Novais, S.M.A., Macedo-Reis, L.E. & Neves, F.S. Predatory beetles in cacao agroforestry systems in Brazilian Atlantic forest: a test of the natural enemy hypothesis. Agroforest Syst 91, 201–209 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-9917-z

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