title: Anolis lizards as biocontrol agents in mainland and island agroecosystems.
abstract: Our knowledge of ecological interactions that bolster ecosystem function and productivity has broad applications to the management of agricultural systems. Studies suggest that the presence of generalist predators in agricultural landscapes leads to a decrease in the abundance of herbivorous pests, but our understanding of how these interactions vary across taxa and along gradients of management intensity and eco-geographic space remains incomplete. In this study, we assessed the functional response and biocontrol potential of a highly ubiquitous insectivore (lizards in the genusAnolis) on the world's most important coffee pest, the coffee berry borer (Hypothalemus hampei). We conducted field surveys and laboratory experiments to examine the impact of land-use intensification on species richness and abundance of anoles and the capacity of anoles to reduce berry borer infestations in mainland and island coffee systems. Our results show that anoles significantly reduce coffee infestation rates in laboratory settings (Mexico,p= .03,F= 5.13df= 1, 35; Puerto Rico,p= .014,F= 8.82,df= 1, 10) and are capable of consuming coffee berry borers in high abundance. Additionally, diversified agroecosystems bolster anole abundance, while high-intensity practices, including the reduction of vegetation complexity and the application of agrochemicals were associated with reduced anole abundance. The results of this study provide supporting evidence of the positive impact of generalist predators on the control of crop pests in agricultural landscapes, and the role of diversified agroecosystems in sustaining both functionally diverse communities and crop production in tropical agroecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA; Museum of Zoology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA.
authors.forename: Ivan V
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9506-8064
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Monagan
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA; Museum of Zoology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA.
authors.forename: Alison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Davis Rabosky
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA.
authors.forename: Ivette
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Perfecto
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vandermeer
keywords: Anolis; agriculture; biodiversity; coffee berry borer; ecosystem services