Ecological Implications on Insect Biodiversity

Abstract

Insects are important group of organisms that are diverse forming an important component of food web. They play vital ecological functions like nutrient recyclers, soil decomposers, pollinators, biocontrol agents, soil builders and scavengers. Anthropogenic factors like habitat destruction, land fragmentation, deforestation, climate change, monocropping and urbanization threaten the native diversity of the insects with possible loss in their abundance, richness and extinction. There is a growing need to conserve the diversity of insects using tactics like maintenance of crop diversity amidst the crop areas to serve as refugia and breeding grounds for the beneficial insects, creating of breeding habitats for natural multiplication of beneficials. Adoption of minor agronomic practices leading to crop and habitat diversification benefits native insect population for their natural proliferation in agro-ecosystems.