Enrichment of shade-coffee plantations in Mexico with native tree species selected through participatory processes

In Mexico, coffee is produced predominantly within traditional agroforestry systems, but multiple economic and environmental stressors have led to management intensification. Increased density and diversity of shade cover through native tree species planting in these systems can help conserve biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services and resilience to climate change, while meeting farmers’ needs and preferences and enhancing local livelihoods. We evaluated the structural and taxonomic diversity of canopy shade cover and the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the performance of 12 native tree species selected for shade-coffee canopy enrichment. These species were prioritized together with farmers based on socio-ecological criteria during participatory community workshops. Six pioneer and six shade-tolerant species were planted in five low density shade Arabic coffee farms (< 46% canopy cover) in central Veracruz, Mexico, and their survival and growth were measured over two years. Across all sites, 39 tree species were recorded in the canopy; 72% were native and 28% non-native. Sapling survival ranged between 52.8 ± 10.6 and 12.0 ± 12.0% and average growth ranged between 149.6 ± 24.2 cm / yr and 38.7 ± 2.0 cm / yr, among species. Pioneer species had a two-fold higher survival, and higher growth rates than shade-tolerant species. Survival of pioneer species increased with canopy cover, while none of the variables had a significant effect on survival of shade-tolerant species. Our findings support the enrichment of shade-coffee farms with a mixture of pioneers and shade-tolerant native tree species as a strategy to promote biodiversity conservation and enhance ecosystem services in coffee agroforestry systems over the long term.