Effects of different land-use on grasshopper diversity in lac agroecosystems

Abstract

We describe grasshopper (Acridoidea) diversity in differentially used lac ecosystems located in Luchun County, Yunnan Province, China. Grasshoppers were sampled by sweep netting in 13 plots, representing four land utilization ecosystems: 1) secondary natural lac forest occurred from afforestation of lac plantations (3 plots); 2) lac plantations (3 plots); 3) crop lands (3 plots); and 4) agricultural paddy fields (4 plots). A one-year sampling effort yielded 1,385 acridids, representing 31 species in five families. Grasshopper abundance and richness were correlated to plant resources, which, in turn, correlated to land utilization. Local grasshopper assemblages were reasonable indicators of habitat differences, although they were not consistent with land utilization intensity. In term of grasshopper biodiversity conservation and economic development, the lac agroecosystem, which is composed by lac plantations, paddy fields and crop lands, most likely is the better choice for a balanced approach between conservation and development in mountainous areas of southwest China than any of the any of those areas by themselves because this combination of land use maintains the highest number of species and allows human farming activities.