9789811015243.Pdf

Akshay Kumar Chakravarthy Shakunthala Sridhara Editors Economic and Ecological Signi cance of Arthropods in Diversi ed Ecosystems Sustaining Regulatory Mechanisms Economic and Ecological Signifi cance of Arthropods in Diversifi ed Ecosystems Akshay Kumar Chakravarthy Shakunthala Sridhara Editors Economic and Ecological Signifi cance of Arthropods in Diversifi ed Ecosystems Sustaining Regulatory Mechanisms Editors Akshay Kumar Chakravarthy Shakunthala Sridhara (retired) Division of Entomology and Nematology Department of Entomology Indian Institute of Horticultural University of Agricultural Sciences Research (IIHR) Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra (GKVK) Bengaluru , Karnataka , India Bengaluru , Karnataka , India ISBN 978-981-10-1523-6 ISBN 978-981-10-1524-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-1524-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016954124 © Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2016 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer Science+Business Media Singapore Pte Ltd. F o r e w o r d Arthropods are vital to the functioning of all ecosystems and to the survival of living beings on planet Earth. It becomes crucially important that arthropods are well studied, understood and conserved. Higher levels of specialization, predation, omnivory and diet shifts have allowed for higher species richness of arthropods in the tropics and subtropics, than in the temperate ecosystems. This, of course, may be with exceptions. However, arthropods in the tropics are comparatively less studied. Given the spectacular arthropod biodiversity and endemism in the tropics and subtropics, the species complex and their interactions seem to be scarcely documented. Their functions, ecological services and regulatory mechanisms are also not understood satisfactorily. This book places emphasis on diversity and interactive relationships of arthropods with biotic and abiotic elements, vital for their conservation and management in wild and man-made habitats. The book Economic and Ecological Signifi cance of Arthropods in Diversifi ed Ecosystems: Sustaining Regulatory Mechanisms explicitly deals with the diversity of arthropods in the different tropical and subtropical ecosystems so as to contribute towards their management and/or conservation. There are 20 chapters, most from India and a few from adjacent countries. The content of the book dwells on a wide range of topics embracing diversity, distribution, utility and interactions with other ecological elements in the ecosystem. This is a unique compilation which was hith- erto missing from the international scenario. Obviously, its details and wide cover- age make it a useful reference book for zoologists, entomologists, ecologists, scholars and scientists in conservation biology and arthropod science. Undoubtedly, it will generate interest and awareness in the scientifi c fraternity and the public for initiating monitoring systems and implementing conservation plans for arthropod populations. Biologist, Researcher Fani Hatjina Division of Apiculture- Institute of Animal Science Hellenic Agriculture Org. “DEMETER” Nea Moudania , Greece December 2015 v Pref ace Arthropods, no doubt, comprise the largest species group of animals on planet Earth. They are also the earliest animals on Earth. But until now they have received little research effort especially in the tropics and subtropics. As a result, to date, there have been not many up-to-date, comprehensive books on arthropods, despite their worldwide importance. Among arthropods, insects have received the maxi- mum attention because of their presence as pests on crops, vectors of human and livestock diseases and as nuisance creatures. As a consequence biologists from time immemorial have been studying and laying emphasis only on insects of economic importance rather than on arthropods as a whole. This has resulted in undervaluing their roles and ecosystem services in different spheres, a vital void. This compendium hopes to provide information on arthropods, their diversity, their interaction with other biotic and abiotic elements and their roles in the web of living organisms. Certainly, the book does not claim to present the vast body of information on arthropods in one volume. But it is a sincere attempt to focus on the importance and signifi cance of arthropods in the tropics, aimed to urge their economic and ecological roles, and the vital links they forge with other biotic elements. It is imperative that humans consider arthropods as an important animal community and strive to sustain their activities and services in the ecosystems. The book Economic and Ecological Signifi cance of Arthropods in Diversifi ed Ecosystems: Sustaining Regulatory Mechanisms has 20 chapters. Exhaustive data on arthropods associated with soil, forests and crops like rice, grain legumes, tea, coffee, mango, cotton, cashew and vegetables in the tropics are documented in this volume. The wealth of information provided on their population, roles and activities can be hopefully harnessed for human welfare and health of the ecosystems. There are also chapters on arthropod ecology, evolution, utility as food, medical and phar- maceutical value, diversity and distribution. We hope this book will go a long way in fulfi lling major gaps in our knowledge on arthropods and in improving environmental quality. This compilation is aimed to enthuse and convince the academicians as well as decision makers to utilize arthropods to not only improve yields but also sustain their ecosystem services. Bengaluru, India Akshay Kumar Chakravarthy Shakunthala Sridhara vii Prel ude Economic and Ecological Significance of Arthropods in Diversified Ecosystems: Sustaining Regulatory Mechanisms Arthropods as a group represent three sub phyla (but only two exist today) and ten classes of incredibly diverse invertebrates that constitute more than 80 % of all living organisms on planet Earth. That they make up such unparalleled huge propor- tion of living animals on earth speaks of their resilience, adaptability and modifi cations in behaviour, feeding, reproduction and life history characteristics. It is true that many species, taxa and communities are studied exhaustively. But unfor- tunately most of the information is scattered in scientifi c publications, and only few publications are accessible. It was felt necessary to compile the data on different aspects of arthropod ecology, economic signifi cance as well as sustaining regulatory mechanisms of this interesting group of animals. To connect pieces of widely scattered information on the huge group of arthropods and concisely present them would be, by any means, a Herculean task. It was quite intriguing how and why arthropods have not been often considered at a community or group level while dealing with specifi c, goal-oriented investigations such as species diversity, crop protection and crop productivity. This prompted us to edit a volume on ecological and economic signifi cance of arthropods in diversifi ed ecosystems. Inventories of arthropods in varied and diverse aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems are not available relative to their density. In most situations, studies on arthropods have revealed dominance of insects. Even on insects, several studies address the insects at indi- vidual and fi eld scale level, across habitats. However, meta-analyses of arthropods would achieve signifi cant positive results in agriculture like enhancement of natural enemies of pests, facilitation of pollination, reduction of crop damages and regula- tion of balanced populations of arthropods. It is in this direction that the book begins with a chapter on ‘Ecology and Evolution of Arthropods’. Arthropods being dynamic have responded to changes in response to global warming, pesticides, introduced predators and parasitoids, changed land use pattern and other abiotic and biotic factors. Arthropod evolution is traced back to annelids, and changes in their ecology and adaptation makes a fascinating reading to both scientists and general readers. Such elucidations are ing expected to appreciate status of arthropods in the ix x Prelude environment and their role in maintaining biodiversity of both fl ora and fauna. This prelude is expected to give the briefest overview of the contents of the book. Bagyaraj and others contend that arthropods are ecosystem engineers and litter transformers. The authors in the chapter

Load more