Effects of tree cover and crop diversity on biodiversity and food security in tropical agricultural landscapes

Abstract Context Intensive agricultural practices are expected to exacerbate biodiversity loss while addressing rising global food demands. Agricultural landscapes, which integrate trees and crops, offer a promising solution by balancing biodiversity conservation with food production. Identifying attributes that enhance both biodiversity and food security is crucial for sustainable agricultural landscapes. Objectives This study assesses how attributes, particularly tree cover and crop diversity, influence biodiversity and food security across tropical agricultural landscapes with trees. While field-scale research has provided valuable insights, landscape-scale assessments remain scarce. This study bridges this gap by analyzing biodiversity-food security associations in these tropical agricultural landscapes. Methods Trees on agricultural landscapes in the global tropics were delineated using remote sensing data. Biodiversity and food security metrics were obtained from global spatial databases, and multinomial logistic regression models were applied to evaluate the effects of tree cover and crop diversity. Results Higher tree cover enhances biodiversity intactness and crop yields but decreases species richness where yields are high. Tree cover also influences value of production, but reducing species richness in production-driven landscapes. Crop diversity fosters synergies between biodiversity and crop yields but not with value of production. Conclusions Our study highlights the role of tree cover and crop diversity in synergies between biodiversity and food security in tropical agricultural landscapes. By providing ecological niches and enhancing ecosystem functions, trees and diverse crops help balance agricultural productivity with biodiversity conservation. These findings emphasize the need for integrated strategies to promote both food security and biodiversity conservation in tropical regions.