Nariño Department harbors some of the most significant inventories of biodiversity, which has captivated the attention of researchers, conservationists, ecologists, and various other stakeholders (Montenegro-Muñoz et al. 2019; Molina-Moreno et al. 2022; SiB 2022). The profusion of life in the Andean region of Nariño is a testament to its ecological significance and the intricate interplay of multiple ecosystems. While COVID-19 has had predominantly negative impacts on human health and well-being (Fatahi et al. 2021; Miyah et al. 2022), there have been some potentially beneficial and positive ecological consequences related to the pandemic's effects on human activity (Rume and Islam 2020; Loh et al. 2022).
The symbiotic relationship between the farmers, local flora, and fauna can yield positive outcomes in BUE and TTG. This collaboration occasionally adds nuanced flavors and distinctive characteristics to the coffee. At the same time, certain fauna species also benefit from interacting with the coffee plantations and surrounding forests (Valente et al. 2022). For example, Calliandra pittieri, the most dominant species known as the "Pittier's Calliandra" or "Cuban Red Calliandra," is a plant species native to Central and South America. This species had a high dominance and offered shelter and food for various wildlife, including birds, insects, and other animals, which can help enhance biodiversity on the coffee farm (Botero-Echeverri et al. 2014). This can be particularly important in regions such as BUE and TTG, where coffee farming may otherwise lead to habitat destruction and reduced biodiversity. Moreover, Calliandra pittieri is an important component of agroforestry systems in coffee farms. It improves coffee quality, reduces environmental impact, and enhances biodiversity (Zapata-Arango 2019). Inga eriocarpa, the second species found in the present study, has been associated with the presence of hummingbirds in two coffee-growing areas in Nayarit, western Mexico, because these trees serve as shelter and provide shade and abundant resources, mainly during the flowering season (González-Medina et al. 2016). Studies on the characterization of tree species are important to understand the ecosystem services that can affect biodiversity. In Sandoná, Consacá, and La Florida, three municipalities of the Nariño Department, Inga sp., and Musaceae species were associated with coffee crops (Delgado-Gualmatan et al. 2021). In the coffee-growing regions of Colombia, there is high spatial heterogeneity and, with its high biodiversity (Botero-Echeverri et al. 2014), additional studies are necessary to establish the possible associations of species such as Calliandra pittieri and Inga eriocarpa with coffee crops in BUE and TTG and thus know if there is a role in the biodiversity.
In the present study, 64 fauna species were observed, with birds at 50% and mammals at 35%; these results agreed with studies on biodiversity in coffee regions of Colombia, which confirm a high number of species from some groups taxonomic, such as birds (Botero-Echeverri et al. 2014). With fewer people and reduced human activity in urban areas, there were reports of wildlife sightings in urban environments that are not typically seen. These included animals like deer, coyotes, and birds that ventured into cities and neighborhoods. Moreover, this was a temporary phenomenon, highlighting the potential for coexistence between humans and wildlife (Murray et al. 2023). The similarity of fauna between BUE and TTG was explored using the Jaccard index, and the result (0.42) suggested that at least one species shares BUE and TTG as its habitat, probably due to the fence between municipalities. Additional studies are necessary to determine the relationships among species living in both municipalities, BUE and TTG. This type of analysis allows us to establish which species can survive in a certain geographic range, know an overlapping set of species, and conduct association analysis for species occurrences (Chung et al. 2019).
After COVID-19 in BUE and TTG and, in general, in the Nariño Department, it can develop more effective conservation and sustainable management strategies because vulnerable and important species were mentioned. Interestingly, Sciurus pucheranii, known as the “andean squirrel” had the highest MF in BUE and TTG, the highest in TTG. This species is considered endemic in Colombia, which provides an ecosystem service, being a pollinator and distributing seeds in the forest. Recently, Sciurus pucheranii was sighted in “El Túnel” in the coffee region of the department of Quindío, municipality of Calarcá (Infobae 2022). The results obtained in this study become the first sighting records of this species in the department of Nariño. These studies enrich the biodiversity baseline associated with coffee in Colombia, which is why its continuity in the future is important. In the historical route of Tacines, between BUE and Pasto, municipalities in Nariño Department, four species were found, Turdus chiguanco was found in BUE and was not mentioned in the present study. On the other hand, Streptopelia turtur and Tremarctos ornatus are considered vulnerable species. The last one was observed in BUE (Molina-Moreno et al. 2022). Moreover, the allure of BUE and TTG presents an opportunity for collaboration among different actors to ensure the continued thriving existence of the flora and fauna that grace the Andean landscape in the Nariño Department.
On the other hand, in a thesis conducted in coffee plantations in Yaquanquer, Nariño Department, the diversity of phyllostomid bats was more significant in the organic coffee plantation than in the conventional one regarding effective species. The most abundant species was Artibeus lituratus, contributing 39% of the recorded catches (Cadena-González 2019). In the present study, A. lituratus was mentioned in TTG but not in BUE. Additional studies will be needed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the presence of this species. In another study, the bird Andigena laminirostris was selected as an emblematic species in Nariño but not mentioned in BUE and TTG. However, four species were mentioned in BUE (Glaucidium nubicola, Odocoileus virginianus, Tremarctos ornatus, and Turdus fuscater) and two in TTG (Odocoileus virginianus and Turdus fuscater). The department's selection process of emblematic species showed local communities and the lack of knowledge of wild fauna and flora, which mostly identified the most common species in the region. These interaction experiences support the need to develop processes to ensure that communities recognize, value, and begin to lead initiatives for protecting stories and biodiversity (Montenegro-Muñoz et al. 2019). On the other hand, Icterus chrysater was mentioned in TTG but not in BUE; however, this bird was registered as living in dry forests in BUE, Nariño (Ecoterra 2023), probably, the COVID-19 lockdown had an effect in not being mentioned in the survey. Regarding Apis mellifera mentioned in BUE and TTG, the beekeeping activity in the Nariño Department plays a minor role in the agricultural sector, for that research was conducted from February to November 2018 in four apiaries located in Pasto, Consacá, and Chachagüí municipalities. Considering that no genetic selection program is currently employed in the Nariño Department and the beekeeping sector uses native wild bees, additional studies are necessary for this topic to promote beekeeping (Reina-López and Enríquez-Ordoñez 2020).
In the present study, 22 fauna species were mentioned in BUE and TTG, but no records in the SiB database exist. These species probably corresponded to records observed because of the COVID-19 lockdown, and the biodiversity benefits from reduced human activities. Some authors suggested that maybe the species movement from rural to urban areas because of reduced human pressure caused some positive effects on wildlife conservation mainly due to new habitats found (Manenti et al. 2020; Silva-Rodríguez et al. 2021; Behera et al. 2022). Other authors consider that analyzing the positive or negative impact is currently unclear for biodiversity conservation and will be a long-term challenge (Corlett et al. 2020; Ang et al. 2023). In the present study, the producers mentioned the species that were possibly the showiest on their property, or perhaps they were the ones that were known. In that sense, it is possible that there are species that were not mentioned despite being very common, and this generates biases. Thus, two analytical approaches, the non-parametric Kruskal Wallis and the multiple regression, were employed to assess the impact of forest and plantation management on biodiversity in two coffee-growing areas in BUE and TTG. Surprisingly, the first analyses yielded results suggesting that these management practices might not necessarily lead to a significant increase in fauna biodiversity within the study area. The regression analysis revealed no discernible difference between the median statistics, indicating that the forest and plantation management in the coffee crops did not have a substantial impact on fauna biodiversity.
A more nuanced picture emerged when considering a multi-temporal analysis measuring the period following the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, the individual fauna observations increased significantly compared to previous years. The multitemporal analysis found that COVID-19 had a potentially beneficial and positive incidence in the presence of other species. The evidence for the last information is the 22 species without records in the SiB, probably 27 other snakes in BUE, and 16 snakes in TTG. It is important to consider that some biodiversity data recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown do not necessarily represent changed patterns of behavior or distribution (Manenti et al. 2020). However, perhaps this article is the first to generate post-COVID-19 fauna information in BUE and TTG, for that matter, the results are valuable. This observation raises an intriguing possibility: the reduced human presence in agroecosystems during the pandemic lockdown may have created a favorable environment for the dynamic growth of fauna species within the farms. In other words, the limited human interference during this period could have facilitated wildlife flourishing, emphasizing the need for further investigation into the interplay between land management practices and fauna diversity in these ecosystems.
Similarly, issuing alerts about biodiversity management is crucial, as the composition of the agroecosystem is not always clearly understood, significantly altering its interactions. It is also ignored that the appearance of COVID-19 was not a random phenomenon; it was a warning for humanity to be aware of the damage inflicted on the environment and to change productive habits, including consumption behaviors (Rume and Islam 2020). The SARS-CoV-2 appeared to destroy humans and create a balance in natural habitats, thus being an adverse condition for human survival, but not necessarily for other species (McNeely 2021). The findings here confirmed species appeared more intense on coffee farms following the 2020 quarantine than in years before COVID-19. In addition, the results obtained here support claims in the landscape scenario that wildlife presence is more intense than in past years. Although the environment appears encouraging, this trend's implications are still unclear. Nevertheless, beyond the evidence of sightings reported by farmers, the multi-temporal analysis revealed that species have been observed in higher proportions than in years without quarantine.
Other studies also reported increased sightings of unusual animals due to the lockdown. For example, Paital et al. (2020) reported that coyotes, deers, wild boar, and peacocks were frequently observed in unusual places (Paital 2020). In another study, bears expanded their use of suitable areas beyond the population core area of 173 in 2020 for the reference period March 9th - May 18th. Previous reports were 64 in 2016, 59 in 2017, 44 in 2018, 64 in 2019 (Corradini et al. 2021). On the other hand, black-naped, wild pig, four-horned antelope, and leopard had higher occupancy during lockdown (Behera et al. 2022). From these results, more questions than answers can arise, as not all extractive and resource-utilizing activities are negative, as some sustainable examples and experiences show balanced and beneficial relationships for both resource utilization and ecosystem equilibrium. Furthermore, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of the increase in this type of observation on biodiversity.
New studies should continue to seek data in this regard, as there is an indication of the specificity of wildlife behavior on coffee farms during the quarantine, specifically in BUE and TTG. Moreover, exploratory analysis could be conducted in other scenarios where the richness of crops, wildlife, wooded areas, and agroscapes can provide a better understanding of the growth or effects of COVID-19 under those conditions. Ecosystem interactions are vital for coffee crops, and coffee is a product that generates profitability and other benefits for the producer. COVID-19 lockdown measures affected production costs, reducing the availability and cross-border movement of workers who harvest coffee and disrupting field visits by extension services (Harvey et al. 2021). Additional studies are necessary to provide a better understanding of ecosystem dynamics and to know how the effects of COVID-19 may have influenced the resurgence of threatened or believed-to-be-extinct species during this period. It is important to understand that such species can contribute to balancing and improving the quality of services and products on coffee farms and other plantations.