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After the fall: did coffee plants in Puerto Rico survive the 2017 hurricanes?

Yobana A. Mariño,J. García-Peña,Victor J. Vega,Jose C. Verle-Rodrigues,P. Bayman

Published 2018 in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

ABSTRACT

Abstract Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017. According to initial estimates, 90% of coffee plants were destroyed. We surveyed damage to coffee plants in 81 plots throughout the coffee-growing area of west-central Puerto Rico; we used the change in the Landsat derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (ΔNDVI) to estimate damage to vegetation in coffee farms. ΔNDVI values ranged from 0 to 0.36. Almost half of all plots had ΔNDVI ≤ 0.17 and had less than 20% damaged plants, whereas twelve plots in six municipalities were severely hit and had ≥80% plants damaged. Damage varied greatly among plots and even within plots. Probability of damage was significantly higher in sites with north- and south-facing slopes than in sites with east- and west-facing slopes. Neither minimum distance from the center of Hurricane Maria, altitude, precipitation nor maximum wind speeds were related to extent of damage. Coffee berry borer ( Hypothenemus hampei ) populations decreased after the hurricanes but recovered quickly. Understanding patterns of damage and their causes may help suggest ways to protect the coffee industry from future natural disasters.

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