Sustaining biodiversity in ancient tropical countryside

摘要: With intensifying demands for food and biofuels, a critical threat to biodiversity is agricultural expansion into native tropical ecosystems. Tropical agriculture, particularly intensive often supports few organisms, consequently has been largely overlooked in conservation planning; yet, recent work the Neotropics demonstrates that agriculture with certain features can support significant biodiversity, decades after conversion farmland. It remains unknown whether this value be sustained centuries millennia. Here, we quantify bird diversity affiliated systems southwest India, region continuously cultivated >2,000 years. We show arecanut palm (Areca catechu) production retain 90% of species associated regional forest. Two factors promote high value. First, system involves intercropping multiple, usually woody, understory and, thus, vertical structural complexity positively correlated richness. Second, encompasses nearby forests, where large quantities leaf litter are extracted mulch. The preservation these forests on productive land traces back their supplying inputs cultivation. long-term an ecosystem not documented South Southeast Asia. Our findings open new opportunity imperiled may well extend other crops. Some working lands able sustain over long-time scales, indicating investments today could pay off people nature.