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Brewing trouble: coffee invasion in relation to edges and forest structure in tropical rainforest fragments of the Western Ghats, India

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Abstract

While the conservation impacts of invasive plant species on tropical biodiversity is widely recognised, little is known of the potential for cultivated crops turning invasive in tropical forest regions. In the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India, fragmented rainforests often adjoin coffee plantations. This study in the Anamalai hills assessed the effects of distance from edges and forest structure on the occurrence and abundance of shade-tolerant coffee (Arabica Coffea arabica and Robusta C. canephora) in four fragments (32–200 ha) using replicate line transects laid from the edges into the interiors. The coffee species cultivated in adjoining plantations was more abundant than the other coffee species inside study fragments, showing a clear decline in stem density from edge (0 m) to interior (250 m), suggesting the influence of propagule pressure of adjoining plantations, coupled with edge effects and seed dispersal by animals. Significant positive correlations of coffee density with canopy cover indicate the potential threat of coffee invasion even in closed canopy rainforests. Stem density of Coffea arabica (150–1,825 stems/ha) was higher in more disturbed fragments, whereas Coffea canephora had spread in disturbed and undisturbed sites achieving much higher densities (6.3–11,486 stems/ha). In addition, a negative relationship between C. canephora and native shrub density indicates its potential detrimental effects on native plants.

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Acknowledgements

This work was carried out as part of NCF’s Rainforest Restoration Programme supported by the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme and Ford Foundation, India, and Barakat Inc., USA. We thank the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, especially Mr. C. K. Sreedharan, Mr. A. K. Upadhyay, Mr. K. Varadharajan, Mr. G. Sivamani, Mr. A. Murthy, for permission to work in the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and managers of Tata Coffee Ltd and Puthuthottam Estates Ltd for access to sites. We thank Drs. Kavita Isvaran and Suhel Quader for elucidative discussions and help in data analysis. We thank Abishek, Achal Savarkar, Anand, Dilip, Hari, Harikrishnan, B. P. Mudappa, Nandini, Robin, Raman Kumar, Vena, and several NCF colleagues for helpful discussions, and Dinesh, Krishnan, Moorthy, and Sathish for field assistance.

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  1. Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, IV Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore, 570002, India

    Atul Arvind Joshi, Divya Mudappa & T. R. Shankar Raman

  2. Forest Research Institute, I.P.E. Kaulagarh Road, Dehradun, 248195, India

    Atul Arvind Joshi

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  1. Atul Arvind Joshi
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Correspondence to Atul Arvind Joshi.

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Joshi, A.A., Mudappa, D. & Raman, T.R.S. Brewing trouble: coffee invasion in relation to edges and forest structure in tropical rainforest fragments of the Western Ghats, India. Biol Invasions 11, 2387–2400 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-009-9423-6

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