Integrating Biological Control Into Conservation Practice

Invasive species have a critical and growing effect upon natural areas. They can modify, degrade, or destroy wildland ecosystem structure and function, and reduce native biodiversity. Landscape-level solutions are needed to address these problems. Conservation biologists seek to limit such damage and restore ecosystems using a variety of approaches. One such approach is biological control: the deliberate importation and establishment of specialized natural enemies, which can address invasive species problems and which should be considered as a possible component of restoration. Biological control can be an effective tool against many invasive insects and plants but it has rarely been successfully employed against other groups. Safety is of paramount concern and requires that the natural enemies used be specialized and that targeted pests be drivers of ecological degradation. While modern approaches allow species to be selected with a high level of security, some risks do remain. However, as in all species introductions, these should be viewed in the context of the risk of failing to reduce the impact of the invasive species. This unique book identifies the balance among these factors to show how biological control can be integrated into ecosystem restoration as practiced by conservation biologists. Jointly developed by conservation biologists and biological control scientists, it contains chapters on matching tools to management goals; tools in action; measuring and evaluating ecological outcomes of biological control introductions; managing conflict over biological control; and includes case studies as well as an ethical framework for integrating biological control and conservation practice. Integrating Biological Control into Conservation Practice is suitable for graduate courses in invasive species management and biological control, as well as for research scientists in government and non-profit conservation organizations.

This volume is a comprehensive treatment of how the principles of ecology and conservation biology can be used to maximize biological control. Conservation Biological Control presents various means to modify or manipulate the environment to enhance the activities of natural enemies of pests. It establishes a conceptual link between ecology and the agricultural use of agents for biological control, and discusses both theoretical issues as well as practical management concerns. Certain to be interesting to ecologists and entomologists, this volume will also appeal to scientists, faculty, researchers and students interested in pest management, horticulture, plant sciences, and agriculture. Contains chapters by an international team of leading authorities Establishes a conceptual link between ecology and the agricultural use of agents for biological control Discusses both theoretical issues as well as practical management concerns Provides specific examples of how conservation principles are used to maximize the biological control of pests

Biological Control: Global Impacts, Challenges and Future Directions of Pest Management provides a historical summary of organisms and main strategies used in biological control, as well as the key challenges confronting biological control in the 21st century. Biological control has been implemented for millennia, initially practised by growers moving beneficial species from one local area to another. Today, biological control has evolved into a formal science that provides ecosystem services to protect the environment and the resources used by humanity. With contributions from dedicated scientists and practitioners from around the world, this comprehensive book highlights important successes, failures and challenges in biological control efforts. It advocates that biological control must be viewed as a global endeavour and provides suggestions to move practices forward in a changing world. Biological Control is an invaluable resource for conservation specialists, pest management practitioners and those who research invasive species, as well as students studying pest management science.

Introduction, history and ecological basis of biological control - thephylosophy, scope, and importance of biological control; history of biological control; the theoretical and empirical basis of biological control; biology and systematics in biological control - relationship of systematics to biological control; the biology and impact of predators; biology and host relationships of parasitoids; host relationships and utility of pathogens; methodology; foreign exploration and importationof natural enemies; variation, fitness, and adaptability of natural enemies; conservation and augmentation of natural enemies; evaluation of the impact of natural enemies; biological control in specific problem areas - biological control of pests of coniferous forests; biological control of pests of broad-leaved forests and woodlands; biological control of pests of temperate fruits and nuts; biological control of pestsof tropical fruits and nuts; range, forage, and grain crops; biological control of insect pests of row crops; biological control of medical and veterinary pests; biological control of weeds; biological control among vertebrates; biological control of plant pathogens; components of integrated control and its implementation; the importance of naturalenemies in integrated control; selective pesticides and selective use of pesticides; cultural controls; use of plant resistance; use of autocidal methods; integrated control, a realistic alternative to misuse of pesticides? biological control of insect pests and weeds by...

Chapter 1: Conservation Biological Control: Past, Present, and Future. Introduction. Historical Development. Current Situationin. Challenges for the Future. Concluding Remarks. Chapter 2: Conservation Biology: Lessons for Conserving Natural Enemies. Introduction. Lessons from Conservation Biology. a) Habitat Loss, Fragmentation, Isoiation, and Degradation and Species Extinction. b) Locally and Ecologically Extinct Species. c) Disturbance and Biodiversity: Influence of Scale, Intensity, and the Frequency of Disturbance Regimes. d) Spatiai Fragmentation, Species Richness, and the Fate of Species in a Habitat. e) Functional Populations and Communities: Maintenance of Subpopulations and Habitat Patches as Source Pools for Recolonization. f) Conservation by Preservation and Enhancement of Biodiversity: Active Pograms of Ecological Restoration of Habitat Quality. Conclusion: Conservation Biological Control, Policy, and Changing Perspectives. Chapter 3: Agroecosystems and Conservation Biological Control. Introduction. The Nature of Managed Habitats and its Impact on Conservation Biological Control. The Nature of the Herbivore Communities and its Impact on Conservation Biological Control. The Nature of the Natural Enemy Community and its Impact on Conservation Biological Control Chapter 4: The Influence of Plants on Insect Parasitoids: Implications for Conservation Biological Control. Introduction. Influence of Plant Patch Structure and Diversity (inter- and intrapatch traits). a) Influences of the Size, Number, and Shape of Plant Patches. b) Size and Shape of Plants in Patches. c) Plant Taxonomic Diversity. d) Physical Plant and Chemical Signals with in Patches. Influence of Single Plants on with in Plant Parasitoid Responses and Survival. a) Sources of Food. b) Chemical Cues and Barriers to Searching Parasitoids. c) Chemical Cues and Barriers to Developing Parasitoids. d) Indirect Effects of Plant Quality. e) Physical Features of Plants. f) Morphology of Plants and Microclimate. Conclusions: Constraints and Opportunities. Chapter 5: Influence of Plants on Invertebrate Predators: Implications to Conservation Biological Control. Introduction. Plant Morphology and Chemistry a) Plant Chemical Cues. b) Influence of Plant Morphology. Plant Species Diversity in and Around Agroecosystems a) Consequences of Plant Species Diversity. b) Consequences of Differences in Plant Quality. Conclusions. Chapter 6: Ecologlcal Considerations in the Conservation of Effective Parasitoid Communities in Agricultural Systems. Introduction. Disturbance Regimes in Unmanaged and Agricultural Systems. a) Crop Scale Disturbance Regimes and Parasitoids. b) Farm-level Disturbance Regimes and Parasitoids. c) Landscape-level Disturbance Regimes and Parasitoids. Parasitoid Metapopulations in Agricultural Systems. Parasitoid Community Dynamics in Agricultural Systems. Conclusions. Chapter 7: Habitat Enhancement and Conservation of Natural Enemies of Insects. Introduction. Agricultural Landscape Mosaics. Identifying Essential Resources: Bases for Habitat Modification. Conclusions . a) Landscape Perspective. b) Actions with in an IPM Context: Benefits and Constraints. Chapter 8: Sown weed strips: Artificial Ecologlcal Compensation. Areas as an Important tool in Conservation Biological Control. Introduction. How to Create Sown Weed Strips. Enhancing Diversity of Beneficials. a) Spiders. b) Ground Beetles. Herbivores: Promoting Biodiversity, but not of Pests. a) Aphids. b) Phytophagous Beetles. c)other herbivores. mechanisms. a) additional hibemation sites. b) increased Perforrnance and Fitness of Predators and Parasitoids. Conclusions. Chapter 9: Habitat Manipulation and Natural Enemy Efficiency: Implications for the Control of Pests. Introduction. Ecological Principles Gulding Habitat Manipulation. A) Diversity and Stability B) The "Enemies Hypothesis" . C) Bionomic Strategies. Practical Considerations in Habitat Manipulation. A) Choice of Crap Systems for Habitat Manipulation . b) Choice of Habitat Manipulation Strategy. C) Spatial Considerations in Habitat Manipulation . Integration of Habitat Manipulation with other Pest Management Techniques. Conclusions. Chapter 10: Naturally Occurring Biological Controls in Genetically Engineered Crops. Introduction and Overview. Genetic Engineering for Insect Resistance. A) Direct Effects on Biological Control Agents. B) Indirect Effects on Biological Control Agents. C) Impact on Population-Level Food Web Interactions. D) Conservation of Biological Control Agents and Resistance Management. Genetic Engineering for Improved Horticultural Characteristics. A) Impraved Tolerance of Pest Damage. B) Altered Plant Architecture. C) Altered Plant Surfaces. D)Expanded Range of Growing Conditions. Conservation Biological Control and Marketing Genetically Engineered Crops. Chapter 11: Pesticides and Conservation of Natural Enemies. Introduction. Effects of Pesticides on Natural Enemies. A) Evaluating the Effects of Pesticides on Natural Enemies. B) Pesticide Selectivity. Relative Roles of Pesticides and Natural Enemies in IPM. A) Integrating Pesticides and Natural Enemies Conclusion. Chapter 12: Conservation Biological Control of Mobile Pests: Problems and Tactics. Introduction. Effective Natural Enemies of Mobile Pests. A) Mobile Natural Enemies.B) Habitat Shifts by Natural Enemies of Mobile Pests. Conserving Natural Enemies of Mobile Pests. Conclusions. Chapter 15: Deployment of the Predaceous ants and their Conservation in Agroecosystems. Introduction. Examples of the Deployment of Ants for Biologlcal Control. A) Ants for the Control of Cocoa (theobroma cacao l.) Pests. B) Oecophylla Species for the Control of Tree Crop Pests in Asia and Africa.. C) Conservation and Deployment of Pheidole megacephala in Cuba. The Role of Ants as Natural Biologlcal Control Agents. A)"Milpas" in Central America. B) Ants as Natural Biological Controls of Cotton Pests. Drawing Generalizations from the Examples. A) Perennial Versus Annual Cropping Systems. B) Ant-Homopteran Mutualism. C) Good Versus Bad Ants. D) The Ant Community. E) Habitat Manipulation for the Conservation of Ants. The Interface Between Agroecology and Conservation Biology. Chapter 16: Conservation of Aphidophaga in Pecan Orchards. Introduction. A) Pecan Culture. B)Pecan Insect Control. Pecan Aphid Biology and Control. Natural Enemies of Pecan Aphids. Conserving Natural Enemies of Pecan Insects. Enhancement Techniques in Pecan Orchards. Discussion. Chapter 17: Conservation Biological Control of Spider Mites in Perennial Cropping Systems. Introduction. Successful Mite Biological Control in Perennial Cropping Systems. Patterns of Mite Predator-prey Dynamics in Newyorkapples. Generalizations and Future Research. A) Characteristics that may Enhance Persistence traits of Phytoseiids. B) Characteristics That May Enhance Persistence traits of the Host Plant. C) Establishing and Fostering Phytoseiid Mites in Perennial Systems. Summary. Chapter 18: Conserving Epiphytic Microorganisms on Fruits and Vegetables for Biological Control. Introduction. Defining Biological Control Systems. The Postharvest Environment: Opportunities for Biological Control. Multifaceted Biological Control. Conserving and Promoting Naturally. Occurring Epiphytic Antagonists: An IPM Perspective. A) Pesticides. B) Cultural Practices. Environmental Effects on Epiphytic Microorganisms. Genetic Control of the Antagonists Environment. The Road not Traveled: Epilogue. Chapter 19: Biological Control of Soil-Borne Pathogens with Resident Versus Introduced Antagonists: Should Diverging Approaches Become Strategic Convergence? Introduction. The Bases of Biological Control of Soil-Borne Pathogens. A) The Nature of Current Practices in the Bioliogical Control of Soil-Borne Pathogens. B) The Nature of Current Agents used in the Bioliogical Control of Soil-Borne Pathogens. c) The Mode of Action of Bioliogical Control Agents of Soil-Borne Pathogens. The Complexity of the Environment and Interactions Therein. A Way to Sort out and Understand Multivariate Complexity: the use of Mathematical Models. Fluorescent Pseudomonads and Biological Control; Inunda tive Release or Manipulation of the Environment: the different Approaches. A) Inundative Release: use of Single Antagonistic Strains. B) Manipulating the Environment: Pseudomonads as a Population and Multifactorial Analiysis. conclusion . Chapter 20: Conservation Strategies for the Biological Control of Weeds. Introduction. Factors that Limit the Success of Weed Biological Control Agents.A) Factors that Regulate Control Agent Populations. B) Factors that Determine Effectiveness of Agent Populations. Conservation and use of Native Biological Control Agents. Conclusions and Recommendations.

Publisher Description

Providing a critical evaluation of the management strategies involved in ecologically-based pest management, this book presents a balanced overview of environmentally safe and ecologically sound approaches. Topics covered include biological control with fungi and viruses, conservation of natural predators, use of botanicals and how effective pest management can help promote food security. In the broader context of agriculture, sustainability and environmental protection, the book provides a multidisciplinary and multinational perspective on integrated pest management useful to researchers in e.

In modern crop cultivation, biological control is used primarily for controlling insect pests. The main advantages of bio control technology or biological control are that no artificial substances are added and that pathogens/animals that develop resistance against biological control agents are rare. This approach has no adverse effects on human health or the environment and is self-sustaining. This is a comprehensive, authentic, and standard book on advances in biological control pest management technology, divided in fifteen chapters which deal with significance and importance of biological control in insect pest management, history of biological control, and why do we need it. This book has been crafted to accomplish the needs of undergraduate and postgraduate students of global universities in integrated nematode pest management technology.