Landscape influences on bird control of coffee berry borer ( Hypothenemus hampei ) damage: Insights from a coffee producing region in Honduras

Abstract Ecosystem services play a vital role in sustaining agricultural productivity. Birds are known to control infestations of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei; hereafter borer), a pest that can reduce annual coffee yields by as much as 30–35%. Pest control services by birds appear to be related to the extent of native forest at the landscape scale, with potentially important implications for forest conservation. Integrated open canopy coffee system is a land-sparing approach, in which farmers retain forest cover in exchange for carbon credits. However, its potential for enhancing pest control has not been previously evaluated. Our study is the first to examine pest control by birds in integrated open canopy coffee systems, to estimate the economic value of this service in Honduras, and to identify a forest cover threshold associated with reduced borer abundance. Through an exclosure experiment, we assessed the effects of avian predation on borer damage and abundance, and linked these outcomes to landscape-level forest cover across 3 coffee production systems: sun, shade, and integrated open canopy coffee. We show that birds reduce borer infestations on coffee plantations; however, this reduction was only observed on Sun and Integrated open canopy coffee farms. Furthermore, borer damage and abundance were negatively associated with insectivorous bird species richness, including those identified as potential predators of borer. Borer abundance also declined with increasing forest cover, with a threshold effect observed at 36% forest cover within a 250-m radius. Finally, we estimate the economic value of bird control on borer is currently 195.68 USD per hectare per season, with values ranging from 118.22 to 350.59 USD. These findings highlight the economic and ecological value of bird-friendly practices, such as maintaining forest cover and implementing Integrated open canopy systems, in promoting sustainable coffee production.