Evaluation of Long Term changes of Crop Species Diversity in Agro-ecosystems of North, Central (Razavi) and South Khorasan provinces (Iran)

بوم شناسی کشاورزی

Article 10, Volume 11, Issue 1 - Serial Number 39, March 2019, Pages 155-170   

Document Type: Scientific - Research

DOI: 10.22067/jag.v11i1.32433

Authors

Mehdi Nassiri Mahallati¹; Alireza Koocheki^{* 1}; Arash Ghale Golab Behbahani¹; Agrin Davari²; Seyed Shahab Aldin Moein Aldini¹

¹Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

²Department of Pland and Soil Science, University of Vermont, Burlington Vermont, USA

Abstract

Introduction[1]
Biodiversity is a network of all living organisms, including plants, animals, fungi and other living organisms. In fact, biodiversity refers to the diversity of life and the interactions between living organisms. Agricultural biodiversity as a subset of biodiversity refers to the part of biodiversity used by farmers to produce food. It is well documented that conservation of agricultural biodiversity is crucial for maintaining multifunctional characteristics of agroecosystem as a basis for sustainable crop production. Quantification and monitoring the spatio-temporal variations of crop biodiversity are essential elements for the purpose of biodiversity conservation. Such studies, however, with focusing on spatial variability and temporal changes of crop diversity is largely overlooked. On the other hand, recent studies have shown that merely use of traditional measures such as Shannon and Simpson diversity indices may cause misinterpretation of the results. Therefore, using new measures such as species intactness indices would help to find out the amount of intactness in individual or a number of species over a long period of time. Therefore, the main objective of this study was evaluation of changes over time in crop species diversity at regional scale. Furthermore, two new groups of biodiversity indices for quantification of temporal variation of biodiversity are compared with the common diversity indices.  
 
Materials and Methods
In this study, crop diversity intactness and traditional diversity indices were investigated for North, Central (Razavi) and South Khorasan provinces (located at Northeast of Iran). Long‑term data (1983-2008) regarding cultivated area of different crop species within selected cities across three studied provinces were collected from official databases. Time course of crop species diversity was quantified using 3 groups of indices.
- Traditional indices i.e. species richness and Shannon species diversity index (H'), where H' was calculated on the basis of relative cultivated area of species.
- Species intactness indices based on occurrence, calculated by the difference between crop species diversity at the reference time (reference diversity) and observed species diversity at any given time.
- Species intactness indices based on abundance, estimated from the difference between cultivated area (frequency) of crop species at reference time and any given time during the study period.
Finally, time trend of each group of indices was evaluated using regression analysis.
 
Results and Discussion
Results showed that in three studied provinces both species richness which demonstrates the number of cultivated crop species and Shannon divesity index were increased during the period of 1983-2008. However, Shannon index for Torbate Heydariye, Farooj, Jajarm was decreased over the study period. Although traditional indices showed an improvement of crop diversity over time, they are not able to distinguish the structural changes in the crop species composition. For example if new exotic crop species were introduced, Shannon index would show higher diversity because of higher richness. Intactness indeices of crop species indicated a decreasing trend compare with reference years (i.e. 1983 to 1988), showing changes in crop species composition over the studied period which is in contrast with the results of traditional indices. It is supposed that this discrepancy is due to the crucial change of crop diversity pattern and substitution of some local crops by exotic species and vast expansion of intensive cropping systems across three studied provinces. In fact, in the studied regions, introduction of new exotic crops is led to neglection of some indigenes species.
 
Conclusion
The results of this study indicated that using diversity intactness indices are superior over traditional diversity measures when the objective of the study is evaluation of structural changes in crop species diversity over time . Overall, intactness of crop diversity in three studied provinces was decreased which is seemingly the results of introduction of new crop species and intensification of production systems.
 

Keywords

Keywords: Conventional biodiversity indices; Intactness indices; Monitoring; Species diversity; Intensive agriculture

References

1. Alain, R., Paula, F., Jacques, A., and Robert, H. 2012. Plant species diversity for sustainable management of crop pests and diseases in agroecosystems: a review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 32(1): 273-303.

2. Altieri, M.A. 1999. The ecological role of biodiversity in agroecosystems. Journal of Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 74: 19-31

3. Asman, K., Ekbom, B., and Ramert, B. 2001. Effect of intercropping on oviposition and emigration of the leek moth (Lepidoptera: Acroplepiidae) and the diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). Environmental Entomology 30: 288–294.

4. Altieri, M.A. 1999. The ecological role of biodiversity in agroecosystems. Journal of Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 74: 19-31.

5. Bajwa, M.A. 1995. wheat research and production in Pakistan. In: Wheat for more tropical environments. Villarel, L. (Ed.). Proceedings of an International symposium CIMMIT, Mexico, pp. 68-72.

6. Brookfield, H., and Stocking, M. 1999. Agro diversity: definition, description and design. Journal of Global Environmental Change 9: 77-80.

7. Buckland, S.T., Magurran, A.E., Green, R.E., and Fewster, R.M. 2005. Monitoring change in biodiversity through composite indices. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 360: 243–254.

8. DiFalco, S., and Perrings, C. 2003. Crop genetic diversity, productivity and stability of agroecosystems. A theoretical and empirical investigation. Scottish Journal of Political Economy 50: 207–216.

9. Di Falco, S., and Chavas, J. 2008. Rainfall shocks, resilience and the effects of crop biodiversity on agroecosystem productivity. Land Economics 84(1): 83–96.

10. Lamb, E.G., Bayne, E., Holloway, G., Schieck, J., Boutin, S., Herbers, J., and Haughland, D.L. 2009. Indices for monitoring biodiversity change: Are some more effective than others? Ecological Indicators 9: 432–444.

11. Finckh, M.T., and darpenstein-Machan, M. 2002. Intercropping for Pest Management Encyclopedia of Pest Management. http:// www. Informaworld.com

12. Griffiths-GJK, Holland, J.M., Bailey, A., and Thomas, M.B. 2008. Efficacy and economics of shelter habitats for conservation biological control. Biological Control 45: 200–209.

13. Helenius, J. 1998. Enhancement of predation through within-field diversification. In: Pickett, E., and Bugg, R.L. (Eds.). Enhancing biological control. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, USA, pp. 121–160.

14. Jackson, L.E., Pascual, U., and hodgkin, T. 2007. Utilizing and conserving agrobiodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Journal of Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 121: 196.

15. Jones, G., and Sieving, K.E. 2006. Intercropping sunflower in organic vegetables to augment bird predatorsn of arthropods. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 117:171–177.

16. Kirit, K.P. 2008. Cultivating diversity on farm: agrobiodiversity in a tribal region of western India. PhD Thesis, India. 446 pp.

17. Koocheki, A. Nassiri Mahllati, M.R., Asgharipoor, M., and Khodashenas, A. 2003. Biodiversity of fruits and vegetables in Iran. Iranian Journal of Field Crops Research 2: 80-86. (In Persian woth English Summary)

18. Koocheki, A., Nassiri Mahllati, M., Zarea Fizabadi, A., and Jahanbin, G. 2004. Diversity of cropping systems in Iran. Pajouhesh and Sazandegi 63: 70-83. (In Persian woth English Summary)

19. Koocheki, A., Nassiri, M., Glissman, S.R., and Zarea, A. 2008. Agrobiodiversity of field crops: A case study for Iran. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 32(1): 95-122.

20. Long, J., Cromwell, E., and Gold, K. 2000. On-farm management of crop diversity: an introductory bibliography. The Schumacher Center for Technology and Development. Http:// www.oneworld.org/odi/

21. Lopez, B., Montes, C., and Benayas, J. 2007. The non-economic motives behind the willingness to pay for biodiversity conservation. Biological Conservation 139: 67–82.

22. Loreau, M., Naeem, S., Inchausti, P., Bengtsson, J., Grime, J.P., Hector, A., Hooper, D.U., Huston, M.A., Raffaeli, D., Schmid, B., Tilman, D., and Wardle, D.A. 2002. Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: Current knowledge and future challenges. Science 294: 804–808.

23. Malezieux, E., Crozat, Y., Dupraz, C., Laurans, M., Makowski, D., Ozier-Lafontaine, H., Rapidel, B., de Tourdonnet, S., and Valantin-Morison, M. 2009. Mixing plant species in cropping systems: concepts, tools and models: a review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 29: 43–62.

24. Margalef, R.D. 1958. Information theory in ecology. General Systems 3: 36–71.

25. Nassiri, M., Koocheki, A., and Mazaheri, D. 2005. Diversity of crop species in Iran. Desert 10(1): 33-50. Nielsen, S.E., Bayne, E.M., Schieck, J., Herbers, J., and Boutin, S. 2007. A new method to estimate species and biodiversity intactness using empirically derived reference conditions. Biological Conservation 137: 403–414.

26. Omer, A., Pascual, U., and Russell, N.P. 2007. Biodiversity conservation and productivity in intensive agricultural systems. Journal of Agricultural Economics 58: 308–329.

27. Pimentel, D.A., Stachow, U., Takacs, D.A., Brubaker, H.W., Dumas, A.R., Meaney, J.J., Oneil., J.A.S., Onsi., D.E., and Corzilius, D.B. 1992. Conserving biological diversity in agricultural and forestry systems. Journal of BioScience 42: 354-364.

28. Pimentel, D., Wilson, C., Maccullum, C., Huang, R., Dwen, P., Flack, J., Tran, Q., Saltman, T., and Cliff, B. 1997. Economic and environmental benefits of biodiversity. Journal of Bioscience 47: 747-757.

29. Smale, M., Hartell, J., Heisey, P.W., and Senauer, B. 1998. The contribution of geneticresources and diversity to wheat production in the Punjab of Pakistan. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 80(3): 482-493.

30. Smith, J., Potts, S.G., Woodcock, B.A., and Eggleton, P. 2008. Can arable field argins be managed to enhance their biodiversity, conservation and functional value for soil macrofauna? Journal of Applied Ecology 45: 269-278.

31. Smith, A.K., Chewings, V.H., Bastin, G.N., Ferrier, S., Manion, G., and Clifford, B. 2004. Integrating historical datasets to priorities areas for biodiversity monitoring? In: Australian Rangelands Society 13th Biennial Conference: “Living in the outback”, Alice Springs, Northern Territory.

32. Vandermeer, J., Van Noordwijk, M., Anderson, J., and Ong, C. 1998. Global change and multi-species agroecosystems: Concepts and issues. Journal of Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 67: 1-22.

33. Vandermeer, J., Perfecto, I., and Liere, H. 2009. Evidence for hyperparasitism of coffee rust (Hemileia vastatrix) by the entomogenous fungus, Lecanicillium lecanii, through a complex ecological web. Plant Pathology 58: 636–641.