CHARACTERISTICS OF ARTHROPOD COMMUNITY AND THEIR DIVERSITY RESTORATION IN LEAFY VEGETABLE FIELDS

Abstract

Abstract The effect of chemical insecticides on the structure and diversity of arthropod communities in various vegetable fields and the restoration of their biodiversity after stopping application of chemical insecticides were studied. The results showed that the effect of chemical insecticides on the arthropods in vegetable fields could be characterized the species structure, the diversity index and the evenness of species distribution. Components of arthpod species depended closely on the species number of insect pests, predatory natural enemies and spiders. Investigations showed that the numbers of species in the vegetable fields managed with chemical insecticides were obviously reduced, and their diversity indices were lower comparing with that without chemical insecticides. When the applications of chemical insecticides were stopped in vegetable fields, the index of population trend (I) of dominant insect pests decreased greatly, the control effect of natural enemies on major insect pests increased, and the diversity index of arthropod increased at the same time. Thus, limiting the application of chemical insecticides, resuming the environment of vegetable fields destroyed by using chemical insecticides, escalating the control ability of natural enemies on main insect pests will play an important role in the ecological control of insect pests in vegetable fields.