13 research outputs found
Managing biological control services through multi-trophic trait interactions: Review and guidelines for implementation at local and landscape scales
Ecological studies are increasingly moving towards trait-based approaches, as the evidence mounts that functions, as opposed to taxonomy, drive ecosystem service delivery. Among ecosystem services, biological control has been somewhat overlooked in functional ecological studies. This is surprising given that, over recent decades, much of biological control research has been focused on identifying the multiple characteristics (traits) of species that influence trophic interactions. These traits are especially well developed for interactions between arthropods and flowers – important for biological control, as floral resources can provide natural enemies with nutritional supplements, which can dramatically increase biological control efficiency. Traits that underpin the biological control potential of a community and that drive the response of arthropods to environmental filters, from local to landscape-level conditions, are also emerging from recent empirical studies. We present an overview of the traits that have been identified to (i) drive trophic interactions, especially between plants and biological control agents through determining access to floral resources and enhancing longevity and fecundity of natural enemies, (ii) affect the biological control services provided by arthropods, and (iii) limit the response of arthropods to environmental filters, ranging from local management practices to landscape-level simplification. We use this review as a platform to outline opportunities and guidelines for future trait-based studies focused on the enhancement of biological control services
Complete Human Penile Scaffold for Composite Tissue Engineering: Organ Decellularization and Characterization
Effect of crop diversity on predation activity and population dynamics of the mirid predator Nesidiocoris tenuis
The Big Picture: Prospects for Ecological Engineering to Guide the Delivery of Ecosystem Services in Global Agriculture
Flower strips adjacent to greenhouses help reduce pest populations and insecticide applications inside organic commercial greenhouses
A Moveable Feast: Insects Moving at the Forest-Crop Interface Are Affected by Crop Phenology and the Amount of Forest in the Landscape
Stability lies in flowers: Plant diversification mediating shifts in arthropod food webs
Effects of landscape configuration on mapping ecosystem service capacity: a review of evidence and a case study in Scotland
Manipulation of Agricultural Habitats to Improve Conservation Biological Control in South America
International audienceStable and diversified agroecosystems provide farmers with important ecosystem services, which are unfortunately being lost at an alarming rate under the current conventional agriculture framework. Nevertheless, this concern can be tackled by using ecological intensification as an alternative strategy to recuperate ecosystem services (e.g., biological control of pests). To this end, the manipulation of agricultural habitats to enhance natural enemy conservation has been widely explored and reported in Western Europe and North America, whereas in other parts of the world, the investigation of such topic is lagging behind (e.g., South America). In this forum, we gathered published and unpublished information on the different ecological habitat management strategies that have been implemented in South America and their effects on pest control. Additionally, we identify the various challenges and analyze the outlook for the science of conservation biological control in South America. More specifically, we reviewed how different agricultural practices and habitat manipulation in South America have influenced pest management through natural enemy conservation. The main habitat manipulations reported include plant diversification (intercropping, insectary plants, agroforestry), conservation and management of non-crop vegetation, and application of artificial foods. Overall, we noticed that there is a significant discrepancy in the amount of research on conservation biological control among South American countries, and we found that, although intercropping, polycultures, and crop rotation have been reported in agroecosystems since pre-Inca times, more systematic studies are required to evaluate the true effects of habitat management to implement conservation biological control for pest control in South America