Agrobiodiversity in organic small-scale coffee farms in Chirinos district, Peru

Bc. Kelly Marilin Delgado Rivera

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Most of the Peruvian coffee producers are small farmers, located throughout the eastern and western slopes of the Andes. Coffee plantations are traditionally associated with shrubs, timber tree species, fruit trees, including grasses and flowers, among others, allowing the farmers to diversify their income, provide a favorable microclimate, maintaining the biodiversity and ecosystems. The aims of the thesis was to access the diversity of useful plant species associated by smallholders in organic and conventional (no-organic) coffee plantations, in Chirinos district, northern of Peru.Data were collected during August to September 2016, coffee farmers were (face to face) interviewed into their own farms. Through the survey were document the useful plant species associated in coffee plantations. According to the farmer were listed the preference plant species, reporting the local name, plant part use, main use, specific uses and management practices. Plant part use were classified by their main uses, also according to their growth habit. The obtained information was complement with informal conversations and direct observation in the farm. The total number of species encountered were 66, belonging to 31 botanical families. The associated plant species diversity with coffee plantations demonstrated provide agroforestry services as also benefits for coffee growers as; food, environmental, fuel, animal food and medicine. The most representative were from the family; Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Apiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Solanaceae. Conventional and organic Farmers had preference for food and environmental use category. The most representative useful species were Inga chartacea Poepp., Cf, Musa x paradisiaca L., Zea mays L., Manihot esculenta Crantz and Cordia alliadora. Coffee agroforestry systems in Chirinos maintained diverse plant species, coincided with another studies, which concluded that these agroforestry systems in tropics can play an important role in biodiversity conservation in human-dominated landscapes.

Keywords

Agroforestry, agroecology, coffee, ethnobotany, Peru

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 27. 4. 2018

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedúci: doc. Ing. Zbyněk Polesný, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / odbor:
Forestry Engineering / Tropical Forestry and Agroforestry