Abstract:
Pakistan experienced profound and accelerating ecological changes resulting from rapid
human population growth rate. But, the development syndrome that we are witnessing
today, together with the current interest in sustainable development, food production
systems and biodiversity conservation bring into focus the soil, which underpins all major
developments. Soil processes are important for maintaining normal nutrients cycling in
ecosystem including agro- ecosystem. Plant growth rate is dependent on the microbial
immobilization and soil food web interaction to mineralize nutrients. In natural
ecosystems, the process of immobilization and mineralization are tightly coupled to plant
growth but in chemically disturbed systems like crop systems, this coupling may be lost
or reduced. Nutrients may be no longer retained within the system. Measuring such
disrupted systems of intensive chemical farming may allow determination of a problem
long before the sustainability of the farming is altered and the natural production potential
is lost leading humans at stake. By monitoring soil organism’s dynamics and detecting
detrimental changes in soil profile, crop systems may be saved from further degradation.
Thus the present study is aimed at knowing the effects of high input (with use of
chemicals) farming on the soil macro-invertebrates among two of the major crops,
sugarcane and wheat, in district Faisalabad. Soil samples were collected and soil
macroinvertebrates were identified from both crops. Three microhabitats within each crop
were sampled to know the effect of phytomorphic heterogeneity on the fauna. Species
richness and evenness of the two crop systems was described. The probable role and
interactions of various macro-organisms has also been explored.
