Vanilla cultivation under trees promotes pest regulation

(University of G ö ttingen) The cultivation of vanilla in Madagascar provides a good income for small-holder farmers, but without trees and bushes the plantations can lack biodiversity. Researchers from the Universities of G ö ttingen (Germany) and Antananarivo (Madagascar), investigated the interaction between prey and predators in these cultivated areas. They released dummy prey to determine the activity of natural enemies. The result: more prey were attacked as the proportion of trees increased. Results were published in theJournal of Applied Ecology.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news