This study is a baseline biodiversity survey of the principal soil faunal groups found in irrigated cotton fields of north western New South Wales. Field work was conducted on commercial cotton fanns located in the Macquarie. lower Narnoi, and Gwydir valleys. The various growers and agronomists involved were practitioners of innovative and 'best managemenf practices. Detailed infonnation pertaining to soil properties, cropping history, and calendar of operations were collated for all fields. Fields sampled differed in (i) the age of cotton production and (ii) the crop protection practices used to control insect pests. Specific objectives of this project were: (1) to characterise and compare the relative abundance and species diversity of dominant ecological groups of soil meso-and macrofauna in irrigated cotton fields and their respective adjoining remnant sites; (2) to monitor short-tenn seasonal dynamics of these soil surface-active and in-situ invertebrate populations during the different phenological phases of the cotton crop; and (3) to devise a sampling protocol that is both repeatable and feasible.