Diversity of Aquatic Insects in the Organic and Conventional Rice Fields in Khon Kaen Thailand

Abstract

Water quality has significant effects toward the diversity and distribution of aquatic insect. The application of fertilizer and pesticides may degrade water quality and affect to diversity of aquatic insects. Aquatic insect in rice fields was surveyed to compare the diversity between organic and conventional rice fields in Khon Kaen province during June to October 2015. Three replication of sampling by aquatic sweep net were conducted at sampling sites. The result showed that aquatic insect was represented by 17 species belongs to 16 families of 6 orders. The order Hemiptera was the highest in abundance groups in the fields (5 families) followed by Odonata (3 families), Diptera (3 families), Coleoptera (2 families), Ephemeroptera was the lowest in abundance (2 families) and Collembola (unidentified family). The richness of aquatic insects in the organic rice field was found slightly higher than the conventional one. The species diversity index (H') was 0.427 in organic site and conventional site was 0.401. This study is considered to have no significant in diversity or abundance of aquatic insects between organic and conventional rice field. Order Hemiptera was found abundant and dominant among other orders.