Economic and Ecological Significance of Arthropods in Diversified Ecosystems

Arthropods are invertebrates that constitute over 90% of the animal kingdom,and theirbio-ecology iscloselylinked with global functioning and survival. Arthropods play an important role in maintaining the health of ecosystems, provide livelihoodsandnutrition to human communities, and areimportantindicators of environmental change. Yet the population trends of several arthropods species show themto be in decline. Arthropods constitute a dominant group with 1.2 million species influencing earthsbiodiversity.Among arthropods, insects are predominant, with ca. 1 million species and having evolved some 350 million years ago.Arthropods arecloselyassociated with living and non-living entitiesalike, making theecosystemservices they providecrucially important.In order to be effective, plansfor the conservation of arthropods and ecosystems should include a mixture of strategies like protecting key habitats and genomic studies to formulate relevant policies forinsituandex situconservation. This two-volume book focuseson capturing the essentials of arthropodinventories, biology, and conservation. Further, it seeks to identifythe mechanisms by which arthropodpopulations can be sustained in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and by means of whichcertain problematic species be managed withoutproducing harmfulenvironmental side-effects. This edited compilation includes chapters contributed by over 80 biologists on a wide range of topics embracingthediversity, distribution, utility and conservation of arthropods and select groups of insect taxa. More importantly, itdescribes in detail the mechanisms of sustaining arthropod ecosystems, services and populations.It addresses thecontribution of modern biological tools such as molecular and genetic techniques regulating gene expression, as well as conventional, indigenous practices in arthropod conservation. The contributors reiterate the importance of documenting and understanding the biology of arthropodsfroma holisticperspectivebeforeaddressingconservation issues at large. This bookoffersa valuable resource forallzoologists, entomologists, ecologists, conservation biologists, policy makers, teachers and students interested intheconservation of biological resources.