Sustainable farming that employs shade trees may improve crops' resistance to temperature and precipitation extremes that climate changes are expected to trigger, according to an article published in the October issue of BioScience. The article, by Brenda B. Lin, Ivette Perfecto, and John Vandermeer, of the University of Michigan, focuses on coffee production, although their conclusions could be applicable to other economically important crops, including cocoa and tea, which also were traditionally grown under shade trees.
The scientists marshal evidence that the intensification of coffee production in recent decades has made that crop--and the millions of people whose livelihood depends on it--more vulnerable to higher temperatures and changes in precipitation. In an effort to boost production, growers have increased their use of pesticides and relied less on shade trees, but the evidence suggests that these trends make the crop more susceptible to weather events. The benefits of shade trees appear greater in more marginal growing areas. Lin and her colleagues urge further efforts to determine where a return to more traditional agroforestry techniques is likely to protect the livelihoods of farmers threatened by climate change.
During October, the full text of the article will be available for free downloading through the copy of this press release at http://www.aibs.org/bioscience-press-releases/.
BioScience, published 11 times per year, is the journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). BioScience publishes commentary and peer-reviewed articles covering a wide range of biological fields, with a focus on "Organisms from Molecules to the Environment." The journal has been published since 1964. AIBS is an umbrella organization for professional scientific societies and organizations that are involved with biology. It represents some 200 member societies and organizations with a combined membership of about 250,000.
Journal
BioScience