Plantation Coffee in Jamaica, 1790–1848, by Kathleen E.A. Monteith

Moth diversity and abundance between habitats on a shade coffee plantation in western Jamaica

Habitat loss is the leading cause of wildlife decline worldwide. More prevalent than outright destruction, however, is habitat fragmentation, exhibited especially in tropical regions. Less well studied is the effect of these patchworks of habitats, and the subsequent effect on local invertebrate populations. A small-scale study assessing moth diversity and abundance between forest edges and cro...

Pest reduction services by birds in shade and sun coffee in Jamaica

The reduction of insect pests by birds in agriculture may provide an incentive for farming practices that enhance the conservation value of farms for birds and other wildlife. We investigated pest reduction services by insectivorous birds on a coffee farm in Jamaica, West Indies. Our results suggest that birds reduced insect pests on our study site. Infestation by the coffee berry borer Hypothe...

An experimental study of habitat selection by birds in a coffee plantation.

Unique components of tropical habitats, such as abundant vascular epiphytes, influence the distribution of species and can contribute to the high diversity of many animal groups in the tropics. However, the role of such features in habitat selection and demography of individual species has not been established. Understanding the mechanisms of habitat selection requires both experimental manipul...

Kathleen Early

Soil moisture monitoring using near-infrared sensing technique and the Internet in a coffee plantation field

We have developed two types of soil moisture monitoring system and performed long-term test employment of these systems in the coffee plantation in Hawaii. One is a lower cost and smaller size near-infrared moisture sensor developed by the SANYO Electric (Co., Ltd.), the other is a modified system for monitoring soil information, called SIMS(Soil Information Monitoring System). We settled them ...