eCommons

 

LOCAL AND LANDSCAPE DRIVERS OF BIOLOGICAL PEST CONTROL IN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS

Other Titles

Abstract

Biological insect pest control by natural enemies is an important component of sustainable crop production. To capitalize on the potential benefits of biological control, however, we need a clear understanding of the factors underpinning the biological and ecological relationships between pests and their natural enemies in agricultural landscapes. In my doctoral research, I explored how local and landscape composition influence the abundance, behaviors, and traits of insect pests and natural enemies, as well as the complex ecological interactions between them. Chapter 1 shows how different insect pest species within the same cropping system have contrasting responses to landscape composition, with some species having positive relationships with the proportion of non-crop habitats, while other species show the opposite response. Such contrasting responses create the potential for counterbalancing effects for pest control, where strategies to reduce one species may increase the abundance of another. Chapter 2 demonstrates that the effectiveness of augmentative releases of predators to enhance pest control is affected by the composition of the surrounding landscape. I found that increasing enemy abundance through augmentation may have net positive effects on pest control, but only in complex landscapes where habitat heterogeneity can create favorable conditions for complementarity between augmented and resident enemies. Chapters 3 focuses on the critical role of predator body size as a predictor of pest suppression. We found that communities with even representation of small and large-bodied species have greater pest control than communities dominated by either small or large-bodied predators. By influencing the body size distribution of predator communities, landscape composition consequently mediates the magnitude of pest suppression. Chapter 4 shows that landscape composition not only affects the consumptive, but also non-consumptive effects of predators on prey. I demonstrated that pest populations from landscapes with higher predator abundance exhibited considerable reductions in plant feeding in response to the presence of predators alone. Importantly, such landscape-driven changes in predator abundance may lead to reduced plant feeding damage, even in the absence of actual predation. Overall, my research shows that agroecosystem management that aims to harness the benefits of biological control should consider a landscape perspective because processes governing pest suppression by natural enemies operate at scales greater than individual fields.

Journal / Series

Volume & Issue

Description

179 pages

Sponsorship

Date Issued

2019-12

Publisher

Keywords

Brassica oleracea; Ecosystem services; Landscape composition; Pest control; Predation; Sustainable Agriculture

Location

Effective Date

Expiration Date

Sector

Employer

Union

Union Local

NAICS

Number of Workers

Committee Chair

Poveda, Katja Andrea

Committee Co-Chair

Committee Member

Thaler, Jennifer S.
Nault, Brian A.

Degree Discipline

Entomology

Degree Name

Ph. D., Entomology

Degree Level

Doctor of Philosophy

Related Version

Related DOI

Related To

Related Part

Based on Related Item

Has Other Format(s)

Part of Related Item

Related To

Related Publication(s)

Link(s) to Related Publication(s)

References

Link(s) to Reference(s)

Previously Published As

Government Document

ISBN

ISMN

ISSN

Other Identifiers

Rights

Rights URI

Types

dissertation or thesis

Accessibility Feature

Accessibility Hazard

Accessibility Summary

Link(s) to Catalog Record