title: Combining high biodiversity with high yields in tropical agroforests.
abstract: Local and landscape-scale agricultural intensification is a major driver of global biodiversity loss. Controversially discussed solutions include wildlife-friendly farming or combining high-intensity farming with land-sparing for nature. Here, we integrate biodiversity and crop productivity data for smallholder cacao in Indonesia to exemplify for tropical agroforests that there is little relationship between yield and biodiversity under current management, opening substantial opportunities for wildlife-friendly management. Species richness of trees, fungi, invertebrates, and vertebrates did not decrease with yield. Moderate shade, adequate labor, and input level can be combined with a complex habitat structure to provide high biodiversity as well as high yields. Although livelihood impacts are held up as a major obstacle for wildlife-friendly farming in the tropics, our results suggest that in some situations, agroforests can be designed to optimize both biodiversity and crop production benefits without adding pressure to convert natural habitat to farmland.
authors.affiliation: Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Institute of Geography, Cartography, Geographic Information System, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany. yclough@gwdg.de
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Clough
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barkmann
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Juhrbandt
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: Thomas Cherico
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wanger
authors.forename: Alam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anshary
authors.forename: Damayanti
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buchori
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cicuzza
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Darras
authors.forename: Dadang Dwi
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Putra
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erasmi
authors.forename: Ramadhanil
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pitopang
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Christian H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seidel
authors.forename: Ingolf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Steffan-Dewenter
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stenchly
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weist
authors.forename: Arno Christian
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Wielgoss
authors.forename: Teja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tscharntke
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000254:growth & development; D007214:Indonesia; D014197:Trees / Q000254:growth & development*; D014329:Tropical Climate