Biodiversity Assessment of Agro-Ecosystems under Different Farming Systems

Abstract

The biodiversity in agro-ecosystem is one of the key components that ensure stability, productivity and sustainability of the ecosystem. In the last few decades, agricultural intensification has caused a major change in the natural habitats which has resulted in reduced species richness, functional diversity, and ecosystem services. The paper evaluates patterns of biodiversity in agro-ecosystems with respect to the various farming systems, such as conventional, organic and diversified agro-farming. Based on standardized biodiversity metrics, including, species richness, Shannon diversity index, and functional group abundance, the study will compare plant, soil and arthropod biodiversity between two environmental management regimes. The results indicate that the organic and diversified farming systems are always able to contribute to a greater number of biodiversity as compared to the conventional systems, which are mainly based on the fact that their chemical input is low, the heterogeneity of the habitat is high, and the soil is healthy. The paper identifies the ecological trade-offs of intensive agriculture and the significance of agriculture that does not harm the environment in the long term and food security.