Biodiversity of Foliage Arthropods in the Mixed Crop Zone and Cotton-Wheat Zone in Punjab Province, Pakistan

Arthropods are the most integral part of an agro-ecosystem, but the crop intensification practices are badly affecting these key components. Studies pertaining to biodiversity of arthropods in the cropland of two zones i.e., mixed crop zone (Faisalabad) and Cotton-Wheat zone (Multan) Punjab, Pakistan were conducted for a period of one year. The main focus was to collect, identify and compare the species richness and evenness. Sugarcane, Fodder, Wheat and Brassica were sampled round the year showed variations in species composition of their fauna in the two districts representing the two zones. Mixed-crop zone was highly diversified with respect to species and abundance of individuals per species. on the whole order orthoptera was dominant followed by Araneae, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Odonata, Diptera and Thysanoptera, Neuroptera, Prostigmata each represented by single species except Mantodea with two species. This data base will be helpful in future ecological pest management strategies. The mixed-crop zone was found better than cotton-wheat zone with respect to faunal diversity that may be functional in keeping the sustainability of agro-ecosystem intact. © 2010 Friends Science Publishers