Many studies demonstrated that
replacing forests with farms changes local air and
soil temperatures (Anderson, 1995). These
changes may impact on the abundance and
diversity of terrestrial ants and other soil invertebrates (Andersen, 1995). Conversion of
natural forests to agricultural fields in the tropics
is frequently associated with a loss of species
diversity in animal taxa as well as plants
(Westman, 1990; Holloway and Barlow, 1992).
Many insects are particularly more sensitive to
ecosystem change and they have been successfully
used as bio-indicators to assess the impacts of
ecosystem change on biodiversity (Brown, 1991).
However, comparisons of insect diversity among
natural forests and various disturbed habitats by
the traditional hill-tribe agricultural systems in
northern Thailand are less well documented.