Investigating the novel ecological network on coffee farms through the diet of the common coqui (Eleutherodactylus coqui)

Jocelyn Stopka

Research Mentor(s): Jennifer Flores
Mentor Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Authors: Jennifer Flores, Jennifer Flores, Jocelyn Stopka
Session: Session 2 (10:00am – 10:50am)
Presentation Type: Poster 99

Abstract

With the drastically increasing human population over the past century, endless environmental impacts have been observed across the globe as a result. One example of this is the introduction of the coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui) to the Pacific Islands of Hawaii. Coffee serves as a large part of the economy and agricultural practices in both Puerto Rico and Hawaii, yet these ecosystems are often overlooked due to individuals not considering coffee agroecosystems as “ecological”/”natural”. These frogs are native to Puerto Rico, where we hypothesize that they act as a top-down predator within coffee agroecosystems, keeping pest populations under control. Since these amphibians are not native to the Hawaiian Islands and their arrival is unprecedented, the effects of their introduction on coffee farms are unknown; however, as a research team, we have sampled and analyzed the diet of these frogs both in Puerto Rico and Hawaii to grasp the type and quantity of insect species that they are eating. In our research, we have created a database consisting of hundreds of insect samples from various farms located in both Puerto Rico and Hawaii. With this information, we will analyze the observed species in both places to draw conclusions as to what the frogs are eating and how they might be impacting insect populations. At the moment, our data suggests that the frogs are having a similar role on Hawaiian farms as in Puerto Rico, as a predator mitigation strategy; however, as we continue to analyze our collected data, conclusions may be subject to change. An importance of researching this phenomenon is how the introduction of an amphibian species to a new ecosystem might affect other species native to the area, as well as how insect populations could change in both positive and negative ways. As we continue to analyze the collected samples, our conclusions will become more solidified, providing answers to the proposed research question and expanding on our existing knowledge of invasive species in agroecosystems.