Linking coleopteran diversity with agricultural management of maize agroecosystems in Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

Biodiversity is known to be influenced by agricultural practices in many ways. However, it is necessary to understand how this relation takes place in particular agroecosystems, sociocultural contexts and for specific biological groups. Also, in order to systematically study and track how biodiversity responds or changes with agricultural practices, it is necessary to find groups that can be used as practical indicators. We conduct a study of beetle (Coleoptera) diversity in maize-based agricultural plots with heterogeneous management practices in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. First, we use a mixture of local knowledge and multivariate statistics to group the plots into two broad and contrasting management categories (traditional vs. industrialized). Then, we present an analysis of Coleopteran diversity for each category, showing higher levels across different diversity indexes for the traditional plots. Also, our results let us postulate the Curculionidae family as an indicator of both management type and overall Coleopteran diversity in the agricultural lands of the study site. We discuss our results in terms of the agricultural matrix quality and its role in joint productive and biodiversity conservation strategies.