Abundance (ecology)

Biology

Agriculture

Biodiversity

Insectivore

Habitat

Geography

Ecology

Rainforest

Bird conservation

Sustainability

Wildlife

Tropics

Agroforestry

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Significance As agricultural lands rapidly expand in the tropics, they become critical for the future of tropical biodiversity, but little is known about their long-term conservation value. Over 12 years in Costa Rica, we measured the abundance and diversity of birds in agricultural areas and embedded forest remnants. We recorded 185 bird species in coffee plantations and 230 species at forest sites, but 69 out of 112 populations showed declines—mostly among more specialized, sedentary, and/or insectivorous species. Nevertheless, coffee plantations with modestly higher tree cover had higher bird diversity and capture rates. With limited opportunities to expand protected areas worldwide, even small improvements in farming practices can increase the long-term sustainability of tropical wildlife and its benefits to people.

Long-term declines in bird populations in tropical agricultural countryside