Disturbance persistence in managed grasslands: shifts in aboveground community structure and the weed seed bank

The length of time and form in which disturbances persist in systems depends on the intensity and frequency of disturbance and on the abilities of resident species to recover from such events. In grazed grasslands, trampling by large mammalian herbivores can periodically facilitate weed establishment by exposing patches of bare ground but whether an intense soil disturbance event results in a temporary increase in weed abundance or a persistent weed problem remains unclear. In May 2002, cattle trampling following heavy rain caused severe damage to nine-month old, rotationally grazed, cool-season pastures (Midwest USA). In September 2002, we compared the aboveground composition of paddocks (i.e., fenced pasture sections) that were heavily disturbed to those that received no damage. Relative to undisturbed paddocks, forage species relative cover was 17% lower in disturbed paddocks, and weed species and bare ground relative cover was 61% and 100% higher, respectively. By September 2004, paddock types did not differ in all aboveground community components. However, the abundance and species richness of weed seeds in the soil seed bank averaged respectively 82% and 30% higher in disturbed paddocks between 2003 and 2004. These findings indicate that a spatially extensive, intense soil disturbance event may soon become undetectable in components of aboveground pasture structure but can persist as an augmented weed seed bank. Because of high weed seed bank longevity, disturbances to formerly disturbed pastures would likely result in higher weed recruitment, with more species represented, than in those which lack previous disturbance. Disturbance history may thus be a useful predictor of weed community composition following subsequent disturbance. Based on empirical data supporting this proposition, we recommend that grassland managers explicitly incorporate disturbance history into dynamic management planning and do not rely exclusively on aboveground characters to evaluate the invasion status or colonization potential of an area by undesirable plants. We emphasize that the ecological legacies of past soil disturbance events cannot only influence the contemporary patterns and processes of grasslands, but importantly, affect their compositional trajectories following subsequent perturbation.     

Successful restoration of abandoned terraced vineyards and grasslands in Southern Switzerland

Extensively managed semi-natural grasslands represent species-rich habitats and therefore play a key role for the maintenance of biodiversity in agricultural areas. In marginal and poorly accessible areas, the traditional management of grassland is frequently abandoned, which leads to the spread of forest. In Southern Switzerland, terraced vineyards (a special grassland type) and terraced grasslands are part of the cultural heritage and local biodiversity hotspots. Yet, many of them are overgrown by forest. In the past years, several abandoned terraced vineyards and grasslands have been restored by removing the forest, rebuilding the walls and re-introducing the traditional management. We examined restoration success by assessing plant species richness, diversity and species composition in both the aboveground vegetation and soil seed bank in (1) restored, (2) abandoned for 25–50 years, and (3) permanently used areas of six terraced vineyards and six terraced grasslands. Plant species richness and diversity were reduced and species composition altered in the aboveground vegetation of abandoned vineyards and grasslands compared to the permanently used and restored ones. However, species richness, Shannon-diversity and species composition of the aboveground vegetation did not differ between restored and permanently used areas, indicating a successful restoration of the vegetation 10–15 years after restoration. In abandoned vineyards, species richness of plants emerging from the soil seed bank was slightly higher than in permanently used and restored vineyards. No difference in seedling species richness was found between abandoned, permanently used and restored terraced grasslands. Our results showed that the soil seed bank played a minor role for the re-establishment of the above-ground vegetation. We assume that the large species pool in the surroundings and the presence of dispersal vectors are essential for the successful passive restoration of abandoned grassland in this region.     

A functional analysis of vegetation dynamics in abandoned and restored limestone grasslands

Question: How do various plant functional groups and types are related to regeneration of limestone grasslands and to temporal changes in cover of trees and shrubs? Which mechanisms are responsible for changes in differently treated grasslands? Location: Southern Poland, 50° 01'N, 19° 50'E. Methods: A 12‐year restoration experiment after the clearing of a 35‐yr‐old secondary pine wood developed on limestone grassland, and a parallel observation of succession in neighbouring abandoned grassland were carried out. Changes in cover of species with different functional traits and established strategies in relation to time and cover of shrub layer were analysed using multiple linear regression. Results: Over 12 years the composition and cover of species changed in the studied grasslands, but significant differences still occurred between the old grassland and the grassland restored in former wood gaps and that developed in former closed wood. Despite the very close proximity of the old grassland, the composition of restored grasslands was still much determined by initial conditions. In these grasslands, the cover of Festuco‐Brometea species was significantly lower than in the old grassland. In all sites, the cover of species with large leaves and with leaves distributed regularly along the stem, and the cover of CS strategists increased. With increasing shrub cover in restored grasslands, the cover of annuals and biennials, tall species, and R and CS strategists decreased. Conclusions: Limited availability of seeds seems the principal reason for the weak regeneration of xerothermic limestone grasslands. Trees and shrubs inhibit the developed of both early successional species and perennials occurring in established communities. They significantly hinder regeneration of grasslands and should be cut every five or six years.     

Ontogeny, diet shifts, and nutrient stoichiometry in fish

Most stoichiometric models do not consider the importance of ontogenetic changes in body nutrient composition and excretion rates. We quantified ontogenetic variation in stoichiometry and diet in gizzard shad, Dorosoma cepedianum , an omnivorous fish with a pronounced ontogenetic diet shift; and zebrafish, Danio rerio, grown in the lab with a constant diet. In both species, body stoichiometry varied considerably along the life cycle. Larval gizzard shad and zebrafish had higher molar C:P and N:P ratios than larger fish. Variation in body nutrient ratios was driven mainly by body P, which increased with size. Gizzard shad body calcium content was highly correlated with P content, indicating that ontogenetic P variation is associated with bone formation. Similar trends in body stoichiometry of zebrafish, grown under constant diet in the laboratory, suggest that ontogeny (e.g. bone formation) and not diet shift is the main factor affecting fish body stoichiometry in larval and juvenile stages. The N:P ratio of nutrient excretion also varied ontogenetically in gizzard shad, but the decline from larvae to juveniles appears to be largely associated with variation in the N:P of alternative food resources (zooplankton vs detritus) rather than by fish body N:P. Furthermore, the N:P ratio of larval gizzard shad excretion appears to be driven more by the N:P ratio at which individuals allocate nutrients to growth, more so than static body N:P, further illustrating the need to consider ontogenetic variation. Our results thus show that fish exhibit considerable ontogenetic variation in body stoichiometry, driven by an inherent increase in the relative allocation of P to bones, whereas ontogenetic variation in excretion N:P ratio of gizzard shad is driven more by variation in food N:P than by body N:P.     

Differences in species richness and life-history traits between grazed and abandoned grasslands in southern Sweden

Disturbance has profound effects on plant community composition. This paper deals with the influence of grazing on species richness and proportions of life‐history attributes of grassland vegetation at six spatial scales (0.001–1000 m²) in two provinces of southern Sweden. The study comprised 33 dry grassland sites, including 22 grazed and 11 abandoned localities, and 28 sites of coastal brackish meadows, divided into five management types (from “heavily grazed” to “abandoned since long time”).
In general grazed sites were species‐richer than abandoned sites, especially at small plot sizes. However, there was a steeper increase in species number towards larger plot sizes in the abandoned sites. Heavy grazing in the coastal meadows resulted in a comparatively low number of species, corroborating the intermediate disturbance hypothesis.
The analysis of life‐history traits indicated the importance of taxonomic group, canopy structure, height, regenerative strategy and, in particular, life form. Leaf anatomy and seed dispersal seemed to be less important. The responses to grazing as regards species traits differed somewhat between grassland types. Grazed sites generally had high proportions of legumes, therophytes, species with basal position of leaves and with regeneration by means of a persistent seed bank. Abandonment of grazing favoured monocots, geophytes, species with vegetative regeneration and (partly) leafy canopy structure. Some differences between grazed and abandoned sites were confined to either the smallest or largest plot sizes, indicating different responses of matrix and interstitial species. Various positive associations (attribute syndromes) or negative associations between individual traits were identified. There was, for example, a positive link between the attributes “geophytes” and “ability of vegetative regeneration”. The recognition of such links is important to avoid misinterpreting certain attributes as functional adaptations to grazing while they are only positively correlated to other attributes of larger significance.     

Spatiotemporal dynamics in mountain grasslands: Species autocorrelations in space and time

Permanent plots with a fine scale recording system were used to trace the spatiotemporal process within two mountain grasslands in the Krkono?e Mts., Czech Republic. The analysis used autocorrelation over increasing lags in space and/or time. Moran'sI was used to measure the autocorrelation. There was a lot of variation between species both in spatial and temporal correlograms. The spatiotemporal pattern of species correlated well with the growth form of the species and the degree of its clonality. Clonally-growing species tended to have high clumping at distances of a few cells, whereas rosette species often did not show any clumping. The type of clonal growth (compact vs. long spacers) is well corrlated, with the temporal correlogram (species mobility). There is a relation between low mobility and high clumping at low distances. Attempts to explain the mechanisms of species coexistence in these grasslands should take into account the particular structure of the fine-scale dynamics of these communities of predominantly clonal plants. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A02DO006 00007     

Biodiversity of soil biota and plants in abandoned arable fields and grasslands under restoration management

The currently widespread abandoning of agricultural land use in Western Europe offers new opportunities for ecological restoration and nature conservation. This is illustrated for abandoned arable fields and for permanent grasslands cut for hay after the cessation of fertilizer application. Although initiated by a sudden reduction of nutrient input to the system, the changing nutrient supply from the soil is considered to be the main driving force of succession. The soil nutrient supply is affected by soil organisms, both directly (root symbionts and herbivores) and indirectly (nutrient mineralization from dead organic matter). It is argued that because of the close association of changes in species diversity with changes in the functioning of ecosystems, biodiversity has to be studied in an ecosystem ecology context.     

Land‐use history and fragmentation of traditionally managed grasslands in Scandinavia

Abstract. Plants associated with traditional agricultural landscapes in northern Europe and Scandinavia are subjected to drastic habitat fragmentation. In this paper we discuss species response to fragmentation, against a background of vegetation and land‐use history. Recent evidence suggests that grassland‐forest mosaics have been prevalent long before the onset of human agriculture. We suggest that the creation of infield meadows and outland grazing (during the Iron Age) increased the amount and spatial predictability of grasslands, resulting in plant communities with exceptionally high species densities. Thus, distribution of plant species in the present‐day landscape reflects historical land‐use. This holds also when traditional management has ceased, due to a slow response by many species to abandonment and fragmentation. The distribution patterns are thus not in equilibrium with the present habitat distribution. Fragmentation influences remaining semi‐natural grasslands such that species density is likely to decline as a result of local extinctions and invasion by habitat generalists. However, species that for a long time have been subjected to changing mosaic landscapes may be more resistant to fragmentation than is usually believed. Conservation should focus not only on ‘hot‐spots’ with high species richness, but also consider species dynamics in a landscape context.     

青藏高原高寒草地退化对土壤及微生物化学计量特征的影响

草地是我国陆地生态系统的重要组成部分, 具有重要的生产和生态功能。过去几十年来, 受气候变化和过度放牧等因素影响, 我国90%的天然草地发生不同程度退化。草地退化打破了土壤养分平衡, 影响草地生态系统的结构和功能。该研究以青藏高原高寒草地为研究对象, 基于三江源区多点采样和整个青藏高原高寒草地的meta分析相结合的手段, 解析了表层0-10 cm土壤和微生物碳氮磷含量及其化学计量特征随不同草地退化程度(未退化、中度和重度退化)的变化规律。结果显示, 草地退化整体上降低土壤有机碳、总氮和总磷含量及其化学计量比。土壤微生物碳氮含量随着退化程度的加剧而下降, 微生物磷含量不受退化的影响。微生物碳氮磷化学计量比沿退化梯度没有显著的变化规律, 且土壤和微生物元素化学计量比之间未呈现显著相关关系。以上结果表明, 草地退化致使土壤养分化学计量关系发生显著改变, 微生物群落自身却能维持一定的养分平衡。在长时间尺度上, 基于养分平衡的土壤质量提升技术可有效地促进退化高寒草地恢复, 改善其生态系统服务功能。     

Nutrient availability and limitation in traditionally mown and in abandoned limestone grasslands: a bioassay experiment

Management is necessary for the conservation of limestone grasslands. However, the traditional management of hay-making every year in July is no longer profitable for farmers. Hence many species-rich grasslands have become abandoned. The aim of this study is (a) to investigate the consequences of abandonment (as compared with annual mowing) on the availability of soil nutrients, and (b) to determine the type of nutrient limitation. The soil was taken from a long-term experimental site set up 22 years ago in northern Switzerland. The availability of soil N and P was assessed in a bioassay where soil from mown and unmown plots was supplied with different nutrient solutions or deionised water as control. Seedlings of Galium mollugo s.str. L. and Raphanus sativus ssp. oleiferus (DC) Metzg. were used as phytometer plants. Their growth in the control treatment was limited by N and P almost to the same extent, indicating that the availability of both elements was very low in this soil. P limited plant growth slightly more, but was overcome in the case of Raphanus by a high P content in the seeds. The N and P availability responded differently to management. The availability of N was slightly higher in soil from the abandoned plots, whereas the P availability did not differ significantly. Accumulation of nitrogen in the soil after abandonment did presumably not have any decisive effect on the vegetation because the amount was small and because the vegetation seemed primarily P-limited. The direct effect of mowing or abandonment on plants is therefore likely to be much more important for species composition than the minor changes in soil nutrients.     

Shrub encroachment alters composition and diversity of ant communities in abandoned grasslands of western Carpathians

Invasions of woody species into grasslands abandoned by agriculture are a global phenomenon, but their effects on diversity of other taxa have been rarely investigated across both regional and local scales. We quantified how shrub encroachment affected the activity, composition, and diversity of ant communities in managed and abandoned grasslands in western Carpathians of Central Europe across four regions and four shrub encroachment stages in each region. We surveyed ant communities on 48 sites in total, with each encroachment stage replicated three times in each region and twelve times overall. We used pitfall traps to sample ants over three years (2008, 2009, 2011) and identified 9,254 ant workers belonging to 33 species in total. Although the epigaeic activity and composition of ant communities varied with region, abandoned grasslands supported a greater species richness of ants than managed grasslands regardless of the region, and especially so in more advanced shrub encroachment stages. Since the woody colonization within grasslands was moderate even in the advanced encroachment stages (on average ~40 % of grassland colonized by woody species), it allowed coexistence of forest specialists (e.g. Temnothorax crassispinus) with species typical of open grasslands, thus increasing overall ant diversity. Managed grasslands were not only less species rich compared to abandoned grasslands, but they were characterized by different species (e.g. Lasius niger, Myrmica rugulosa). The differences in ant communities between managed and abandoned grasslands are likely to cause differences in ecological functions mediated by ants (e.g. predation of arthropods or plant seed dispersal).     

Field-simulated droughts affect elemental leaf stoichiometry in Mediterranean forests and shrublands

This study evaluated the change induced by the year season and by experimentally induced drought on foliar element stoichiometry of the predominant woody species (Quercus ilex and Erica multiflora) in two Mediterranean ecosystems, a forest and a shrubland. This study is based in two long-term (11 yr) field experiments that simulated drought throughout the annual cycle.The effects of experimental droughts were significant but weaker than the changes produced by ontogeny and seasonality. Leaf N and P concentrations were higher in spring (the main growing season) in E. multiflora and, in Q. ilex in autumn (a period of additional growth). Leaf N:P ratios were lower in spring. In Q. ilex, the highest leaf K concentrations and leaf K:P ratios, and the lowest leaf C:K and N:K ratios, occurred in summer, the season when water stress was greatest. In E. multiflora, leaf K concentrations and K:P ratios were highest, and leaf C:K and N:K ratios were lowest in the plants from the drought-treated plots.The plant capacity to change K concentrations in response to seasonality and to drought is at least as great as the capacity to change N and P concentrations. The results underscore the importance of K and its stoichiometry relative to C, N and P in dry environments. These results indicate first, that N:P ratio shifts are not uniquely related to growth rate in Mediterranean plants but also to drought, and second, that there is a need to take into account K in ecological stoichiometry studies of terrestrial plants.     

氮素添加和刈割对内蒙古弃耕草地土壤氮矿化的影响

以内蒙古多伦县恢复生态学试验示范研究站弃耕10余年的草地为研究对象,于2006年起分别设置对照、氮素添加、刈割和氮素添加+刈割4种处理,每种处理6次重复,研究弃耕草地氮素添加和刈割对土壤氮矿化的影响,结合土壤理化性质和植被地上生产力的动态变化,分析弃耕草地土壤氮矿化对植被恢复的响应,为当地草地恢复与重建提供理论依据和数据支持。实验结果表明:1氮素添加显著增加了植物地上净初级生产力(ANPP)和土壤无机氮库,与对照相比分别提高115%和196%,同时显著提高了土壤总硝化速率;但是氮素添加对总氨化速率、土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、微生物生物量氮(MBN)、微生物生物量碳氮比(MBC/MBN)、微生物呼吸(MR)以及呼吸熵(q CO2)均无显著影响;2总氨化速率和硝化速率对刈割处理的响应均不显著,但是刈割处理显著降低了土壤MR(P0.05);3氮素添加+刈割处理5—7a后,土壤总氨化和硝化速率均无显著变化;但是氮素添加+刈割处理显著增加了ANPP、土壤无机氮库和q CO2,同时显著降低了MBC和MBC/MBN。这说明在弃耕草地适应性管理中,氮素添加可以显著提高草地生产力,但是长期的氮添加对土壤微生物氮的转化是否有利还值得我们进一步研究。     

Species richness,alien species and plant traits in Central Argentine mountain grasslands

Abstract. Pattern of native vegetation, distribution of alien species and variation of environmental parameters were studied in mountain grasslands in a lithologically homogeneous Córdoba mountain range in Central Argentina. CCA showed that altitude was the most important factor determining the compositional variation of the vegetation, with soil nutrient status and stoniness as additional factors. Short‐grass communities, associated with the driest habitats on plateaus, showed higher small‐scale native species richness than wet‐turf communities in valleys and tall‐grass communities on slopes. Species richness was negatively correlated with soil parameters that indicate nutrient status and water availability. Also, there was a negative correlation between soil Ca‐ and Mg‐ content and richness. High native species richness coincided with high alien species richness. When smaller units – community types – were considered, it became evident that within short‐grass vegetation, the three most species‐rich community types contained significant numbers of alien species, while the other two did not. Even within one community type, the same quadrats that contained the highest number of native species, were also characterized by the highest numbers of alien species. Evidently, the same mechanism was responsible for high richness of both native and alien species. Alien species were distinguished by a greater proportion of annuals and prostrate stoloniferous plants, by lower palatability and by smaller proportion of zoochory. DCA ordination of quadrats on the basis of plant traits as attributes resulted in a clear distinction of three main vegetation types. Short‐grass vegetation was distinguished by a predomination of late flowering species, tall‐grass vegetation by the presence of high herbaceous plants and bushes, and wet‐turf vegetation by the presence of plants with storage organs, the lack of hairy leaves, and by a high proportion of cryptophytes. Quadrats with and without alien species were distinguished as well, indicating that the occurrence of aliens may be dependent on plant traits in a particular patch of a community.     

Stability of production and plant species diversity in managed grasslands: A retrospective study

Plant biodiversity theory suggests that increased plant species diversity contributes to the stability of ecosystems. In managed grasslands, such as pastures, greater stability of herbage production would be beneficial. In this retrospective study, I used data from three reports from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1960s to determine whether increasing mixture complexity contributed to yield stability with time. Yield data from a total of 175 mixtures of grasses and legumes (two to seven species per mixture) in experiments of 3–6 year duration in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Utah, USA, were used in the analysis. Regression was used to examine relationships among herbage yield, stability of yield [measured as the interannual coefficient of variation (CV)], and diversity measures [Shannon diversity index (H), species richness (S), and evenness (J)]. In several instances there was no relationship between herbage yield or yield stability and the complexity (number of species) of the mixture. In one experiment, the proportion of legume in the sward seemed to be the controlling factor regarding herbage yield and yield stability. Monocultures and binary mixtures frequently had the highest interannual CV (e.g., less yield stability) than more complex mixtures. Within forage mixtures, however, there was no consistent relationship between herbage yield or yield stability and measures of species diversity. Species identity and composition of forage mixtures may be more important determinants of herbage yield than simply the number of species.     

Germinable soil seed banks in abandoned grasslands in central and western Norway and their significance for restoration

Questions: Could the seed bank increase biodiversity during restoration of abandoned, species‐poor, formerly cultivated vegetation? Is it possible to identify how climate, soil and former and present management and vegetation affected the seed bank? Location: The study sites were eight abandoned grasslands, four in Orkdal, central Norway and four in Gaular, western Norway. Methods: 144 seed bank samples were collected from three depths. Each sample was sown and placed in a greenhouse. After three months, the trays were dried and stored at 4°C in a dry place for two months. This was repeated twice. Results: There was a separation of the two regions along the first DCA axis in both the seed bank and in the vegetation analysis and also a clear separation of the seed bank from the vegetation along the second axis. These results are caused by differences in former management as well as temperature, precipitation and soil type between Gaular and Orkdal. We found more annuals, short‐lived species and species demanding light open conditions in the seed bank than in the vegetation probably because these species have the capacity for producing persistent seeds. Most of the species found only in the seed bank were found in very few samples and with few individuals. Conclusion: These results suggest that it may be difficult to increase vegetation biodiversity through restoration of grasslands such as those investigated if the natural soil seed bank is the main seed source.     

Plant functional strategies and environmental constraints in Mediterranean high mountain grasslands in central Spain

Background: The relationship between plant traits and environmental factors will be of value in understanding of functional strategies that plants have developed to cope with the environmental constraints on plant life in Mediterranean high mountain ecosystems.

Aims: The aims of this study were (1) to explore the variation in plant traits in relation to environmental variability; (2) to analyse the functional strategies of species; and (3) to assess the habitat constraints for the species in the study area.

Methods: We sampled the floristic composition of 76 1 m?×?1 m plots on five summits over 2,100 m above sea level in the mountains of the Sistema Central, Spain. Soil properties and temperature and grazing disturbance parameters were recorded. Eight plant traits were assessed in 21 species. Environmental variability and the co-variation of functional traits were analysed by RDA and PCA, respectively. Plant traits and environmental variability were related using fourth-corner analysis.

Results: Traits related to resource acquisition, such as leaf size and N concentration, varied with soil temperature and estimated summer water availability. Leaf dry matter content was found to be related to estimated water availability and soil pH. Seed mass was a factor of snow cover duration and water availability, and clonality to the duration of the vegetative period and estimated water availability. Grazing disturbance was related to the mean plant height of the species.

Conclusions: The results suggest that low temperatures, rather than water shortage, may be the principal limiting factor for resource acquisition in plants. Nevertheless species establishment is limited by water shortage during summer in these Mediterranean high mountain communities.     

Synergy between shading and herbivory triggers macrophyte loss and regime shifts in aquatic systems

Macrophytes play a keystone role in shallow aquatic ecosystems. In lakes, macrophytes stabilize clear‐water conditions with high biodiversity and their decline can cause a shift to a turbid state with lower biodiversity. Various mechanisms have been suggested as triggers of macrophyte collapse. Herbivory by waterfowl and fish seems to be one of the obvious factors, but the response of macrophytes to herbivory is ambiguous. We hypothesized that herbivory alone does not typically cause macrophyte collapse, but that shading from periphyton can enhance the effect of herbivores. Shading of macrophytes is supposed to increase with eutrophication due to changes in the top–down control cascading from fish via macroinvertebrates to periphyton. We elaborated on this idea by fitting a macrophyte growth model with different herbivore grazing and periphyton shading scenarios. In addition, we performed a meta‐analysis on existing experimental herbivore exclosure studies with respect to periphyton growth. The model supported our proposed hypothesis and the reviewed field studies appeared to point in the same direction. We suggest that a significant herbivore impact may indicate a reduced resilience of vegetation to eutrophication, making it an early warning signal for an imminent macrophyte collapse leading to a sudden shift of the system to turbid conditions.     

Abundance of Coffee berry borer in feral,abandoned and managed coffee on Hawaii Island

Coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari), the most damaging insect pest of coffee worldwide, was first detected on Hawaii Island in 2010. Poorly managed, abandoned and feral coffee sites on the island have since been thought to harbour coffee berry borer (CBB) populations, which then negatively impact neighbouring coffee farms. In the present study, we sought to quantify CBB abundance in these sites, which vary in management intensity and vegetation structure and diversity. We collected data on trap catch as a measure of CBB flight activity, fruit production and fruit infestation by CBB in eight well-managed farms and sites that were either poorly managed, abandoned or feral (wild) coffee. Sites were sampled bi-weekly over a period of 2 years from 2016 to 2017. We found that CBB flight activity was significantly higher in poorly managed sites relative to abandoned and feral sites, but was not significantly different from well-managed sites. Coffee production in well-managed farms was significantly higher than in abandoned and feral sites, but was not significantly different from poorly managed farms. CBB infestation in poorly managed sites was significantly higher than that observed in well-managed, abandoned and feral sites. We estimated an average load of 11–25 CBB per branch at poorly managed sites, compared to 3–9 per branch at well-managed sites, 1–16 per branch at abandoned sites and 1–3 per branch at feral sites. Our findings suggest that poorly managed sites should be prioritized for implementation of CBB control measures as part of a landscape-level integrated pest management (IPM) programme.