Ecosystem service bundles associated with agrobiodiversity in agroforestry systems: A case study of two coffee-growing regions of Haiti

Abstract

Smallholder Coffee agroforestry systems (CAFS) deliver ecosystem services bundles crucial to farmer livelihoods, resilience of rural communities, maintenance of natural processes, and biodiversity conservation. Their importance is likely greatest in countries with vulnerable populations such as Haiti. Nevertheless, little is known about service delivery by Haitian CAFS. Therefore, we characterized the agrobiodiversity of 39 representative CAFS in two coffee-growing regions of Haiti (North and Southwest), and the multiple services they support. We investigated associations between the composition and structure of agrobiodiversity and service delivery. To that end, CAFS typologies were established from variables pertaining to coffee genetic diversity, stand structure and injury profiles, shade tree and associated crop diversity, and bioclimate. Associations between typologies were investigated. We also established a typology based on delivered services related to coffee performance, species and nutritional diversity, tree uses, carbon storage, and nitrogen availability. Surveyed coffee plots were generally varietally diverse, aging, and subject to pest and diseases. Most CAFS occurred on a spectrum of farm regeneration (old to renewed coffee plots) tied to the adoption of “modern” coffee varieties, with implications for ecosystem service delivery. Furthermore, we described 3 distinct ecosystem service bundles delivered by CAFS: subsistence-, coffee performance-, and tree utility-maximizing bundles, respectively. Finally, our results highlight the importance of the tree strata for ES, including conservation of native species. Overall, our study contributes to the still-limited knowledge of Haitian CAFS agrobiodiversity. Trade-offs between certain services, and absence of trade-offs between others, signal possible CAFS improvement pathways.