Research Articles Knowledge for conservation: participatory monitoring of fauna and flora with producers from the Colpa de Loros Cooperative in cacao agroforestry systems
In landscapes highly impacted by human activities, implementing regenerative ecological initiatives such as the implementation of agroforestry systems requires knowledge about the native biodiversity still found in the area. This allows us to identify the type of habitat and resources needed for local species and how we can regenerate them. In August 2024, we began the implementation of participatory monitoring of fauna (mammals and birds) and flora in cacao agroforestry systems belonging to members of the Colpa de Loros cooperative in the department of Ucayali, Peru.
By Carolina Ocampo-Ariza, Yohamir Casanca León, Tobias Fremout
Figure 1. Participatory bird monitoring in cocoa agroforestry systems under the supervision of Mr. Yohamir Casanca
The 'Regenerative Agroecological Cocoa' project aims to empower members of the Colpa de Loros cooperative to carry out sustainable agricultural practices that promote productivity and conservation of natural resources in their area. This is precisely what participatory monitoring provides, by opening an opportunity for villagers to take ownership in recognizing the biodiversity of the area and to independently measure its conservation status over time. Such participatory monitoring can inform timely decision-making on crop management strategies that benefit the conservation of fauna and flora. Thus, monitoring provides the possibility to engage in applied research efforts and can be a useful tool to generate alternative sources of income through incentives in agriculture and ecotourism, among others.
Our first participatory monitoring workshop on agroforestry plots was held at the cooperative's facilities. The meeting was attended by 10 members convinced of the importance of agroforestry systems for the diversity of birds and mammals, and how this impacts their family economy.
Using the information on the diversity of birds in the area that we collected in 2022 and 2023, we selected ten indicator bird species to be monitored. These species are normally abundant in forest ecosystems, so their presence in cacao agroforestry systems (AFS) indicates a good level of vegetation complexity. Likewise, they can be easily recognized by untrained people both visually and by their song. The species chosen were: White-throated Partridge (Tinamus gutatus), Waved Partridge/Panguan Partridge (Crypturellus undulatus), Manakin (Ortalis guttata), Chickadee Sparrowhawk (Rupornis magnirostris), Blue-fronted Jacamar (Galbula cyanescens), Black-fronted monjita (Monasa nigrifrons), White-throated toucan (Ramphastos tucanus), Blue-crowned watchbird (Momotus momota), Mealy parrot/aurora (Amazona farinosa) and Violet-fronted magpie/pian pian (Cyanocorax violaceus).
Lic. Yohamir Casanca shares the objectives of the pilot project and the relevant bird species with the participating producers.
Monitoring methodology
A successful participatory monitoring should be easy to execute and replicable; i.e., if different people execute it, we should arrive at the same results as far as possible. Thus, for the survey of bird information we chose fixed-band line transects 15 meters wide (see Figure 1). In this methodology, we visited the AFS of each of the 10 participating partners and with the help of a measuring tape we measured between 100 and 150 linear meters (according to the area of each property) passing through the cacao furrows.
Figure 1. Fixed-band linear transect for bird monitoring in AFS, and tapes used to mark its boundaries.
In each plot we marked the start and end of the route with fluorescent tape and a thin rope joining the start and end points. After geo-referencing the start and end points of the plots, the partners walked through each one with the ornithologist Yohamir Casanca, noting on a card all the indicator bird species present, and whether they were identified visually or audibly. The participants walked through the plots at a pace of 5 to 10 minutes per 100 meters, between 5:30am and 8:00am. After the training, the participating farmers committed to perform between 5 and 15 repetitions of the plot during August, according to their time availability and the distance between their home and their AFS.
As our goal is to better understand how agroforestry systems support local fauna, we used the same plots to teach producers how to measure flora biodiversity, focusing on trees. This part of the monitoring consisted of measuring the diameter at breast height of all trees in the plot, as well as noting the local name of the species. With these measurements we can derive biodiversity metrics, as well as estimate aboveground carbon stocks in the agroforestry systems where participatory monitoring is conducted. Unlike birds, trees remain in the same place, this monitoring only has to be done once a year.
Flora monitoring in cacao agroforestry systems: cooperative members measuring the diameter of a shade tree
As well as monitoring birds and trees, we used hidden cameras in each of the AFS to record the terrestrial mammals present in the area. This information will provide us with a baseline of the mammals present, the ecosystem services they provide and the activities that the producers of the Colpa de Loros Cooperative can carry out to conserve them.
We worked with several generations of farming families to learn how to complete the data on the data sheets.
Yohamir Casanca sets up the cameras for mammal monitoring with Colpa de Loros partners and technicians
Hidden cameras are a very efficient way to obtain robust information, since they work 24 hours a day and go unnoticed by both small and large animals. Our cameras have a motion sensor and take pictures or videos when the sensor is activated. We developed a hidden camera setup and installation guide that was presented to the farmers during the theoretical workshop in Neshuya. Once in the cacao AFS, we trained each partner in the configuration and installation of their camera; the cameras were in operation during the whole month of August.
Conclusions and future recommendations
Our pilot project demonstrated the interest of producers in getting involved in wildlife monitoring initiatives. The partners look forward to seeing the results of this pilot to identify monitoring and conservation strategies for 2025. However, we identified that it is difficult to develop intensive monitoring when the AFS are located far from the participants' housing, although this distance probably favors the presence of undisturbed fauna. Developing efficient passive monitoring strategies that are accessible to producers with little prior training should be a priority in participatory methodologies.
Cooperative producers Mr. Aquiles Espiritu (left) and Mr. Petter Santos (right) install a hidden camera in a cacao plant near a water source.
El proyecto Agroecological Regenerative Cocoa (ARC), liderado por la Alianza de Bioversity International y el CIAT y KAOKA y ejecutado en conjunto con sus socios CIFOR-ICRAF, Conservation International (Colombia), Fundación KAOKA y Biocacao, busca contribuir al establecimiento de paisajes productivos sostenibles en la cadena de valor del cacao de excelencia en Colombia, Ecuador y Perú. El proyecto está financiado por el Fondo Francés para el Medio Ambiente Mundial (FFEM).
