Effects of Land Cover and Land Use Change on Nature’s Contributions to People of the Shade-Grown Coffee Agroecosystem: An Analysis of Cumbres de Huicicila, Nayarit, Mexico

Abstract

The shade-grown coffee agroecosystem is rich in ecosystem services (ES). In recent years, pests and the decrease in coffee prices have caused producers to change their agricultural activities. These changes in land use have resulted in alterations in the vegetation cover that lead to the loss of ES. The objective of this research was to analyze the effects of land cover and land use changes on the ES associated with coffee production in Cumbres de Huicicila, a coffee-growing region in western Mexico. For this purpose, we analyzed land cover and land use maps for the period 2007–2019, calculated the annual rate of change and estimated the future rate of change to 2030. We used a literature review through the SALSA method to identify and estimate the impact of the ES of coffee plantations under the approach of nature’s contributions to people. As a result, we found alterations with a decreasing trend in agroecosystem cover and loss of ES related to biodiversity. We hope that this research will serve to consolidate efforts for the conservation and sustainable use of the ES of the shade-grown coffee plantations.

Keywords

• ecosystem services
• coffee plantations
• coffee crops
• deforestation
• vegetation
• biodiversity