Influence of Physico-Chemical Variables on Abundance of Chironomidae (Diptera) in Tropical Rice Agroecosystem

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S. A. Al-Shami
M. R. Che Salmah*
M. N. Siti Azizah
A. Abu Hassan

Abstract

Influence of selected physico-chemical factors such as water level, rice plant height, temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total organic matter, total suspended solids. Phosphate and nitrate- nitrogen on larval population of Chironomidae (Diptera) were studied in a rice field. Thses variables showed a wide range of variation over two seasons of rice cultivation studied. Water level, rice plant height, conductivity, phosphate and nitrate- nitrogen contents of the water weakly influenced the abundance of chironomid larvae in this rice field at P=0.05. However, other variables did not affect the larval population.


Keywords: Chironomidae, rice agroecosystem, physico-chemical variables, abundance


Corresponding author: E-mail: csalmah@usm.my

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Original Research Articles

References

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