Biological control is the suppression of populations of pests and weeds by living organisms. These organisms can provide important protection from invasive species and protect our environment by reducing the need for pesticides. However, they also pose possible environmental risks, so biological control interventions must be undertaken with great care. This book enhances our understanding of biological control interactions by combining theory and practical application. Using a combination of historical analyses, theoretical models and case studies, with explicit links to invasion biology, the authors cover biological control of insects, weeds, plant pathogens and vertebrate animals. The book reflects increasing recognition of risks over the past 20 years, and incorporates the latest technological advances and theoretical developments. It is ideal for researchers and students of biological control and invasion biology.
Biological control is the suppression of populations of pests and weeds by living organisms. These organisms can provide important protection from invasive species and protect our environment by reducing the need for pesticides. However, they also pose possible environmental risks, so biological control interventions must be undertaken with great care. This book enhances our understanding of biological control interactions by combining theory and practical application. Using a combination of historical analyses, theoretical models and case studies, with explicit links to invasion biology, the authors cover biological control of insects, weeds, plant pathogens and vertebrate animals. The book reflects increasing recognition of risks over the past 20 years, and incorporates the latest technological advances and theoretical developments. It is ideal for researchers and students of biological control and invasion biology.
Foreword Jacques Brodeur; Preface; 1. Definitions and interactions; 2. Biological control and invasion biology; 3. Importation biological control – the scope of success; 4. Negative consequences of biological control; 5. Ecological risk analysis in biological control; 6. Population dynamics in biological control; 7. Biological control and evolution; 8. Augmentation: orchestrating local invasions; 9. Conservation biological control I: orchestrating natural control through habitat manipulation; 10. Conservation biological control II: orchestrating natural control through pesticide reduction or selection.
This book enhances our understanding of biological control, integrating historical analysis, theoretical models and case studies in an ecological framework.
George Heimpel is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Entomology at the University of Minnesota. His research is focused on parasitoid biology and the use of parasitoids as biological control agents. Nicholas Mills is a Professor of Entomology in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on biological control of arthropod pests using parasitoids and predatory insects in agricultural, urban and forest settings.
'Biological control is placed very skilfully within the context of
the ecological principles of biological invasions. The authors
argue that we have now reached a point where the balance between
risks and benefits of biological control is well accepted rather
than contested, bringing with it new concepts and approaches to
environmental risk assessment. New tools to enhance biological
control success and how this can be measured; the emerging focus on
conservation and natural biological control; and the growing
interest in wider applications of biological control are very
lucidly described. This is an inspiring book, with clearly
articulated concepts, generous use of case studies and figures to
illustrate arguments, and it is extensively referenced. It will
prove to be an invaluable text for current and future researchers.'
Barbara Barratt, AgResearch, New Zealand
'As ecologists and practicing biological control specialists,
Heimpel and Mills bring a unique perspective to the study and
practice of biological control … their analysis of the principles
and practices of modern biological control is deeply rooted in
fundamental invasion biology, population dynamics, and evolutionary
ecology. Drawing examples and theory from ecological studies, they
analyze past and current biological control practices, highlight
where they conform or deviate from ecological theory, and shed
light on how practices may be improved … Aimed at advanced
undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers the text is
replete with examples that illuminate the rich history of
biological control and its future applications. Given the
multifaceted concepts that emerge from each chapter, the text would
particularly lend itself to a discussion oriented - flipped
classroom - approach.' Douglas A. Landis, Michigan State
University
'This book covers biological control from a conceptual viewpoint as
well as emphasizing how this pest control approach is now used in
an environmentally safe way. The two authors of this excellent book
are both highly regarded teachers and researchers in the field of
biological control. The authors describe and provide examples of
major biological control strategies with advanced coverage of the
theoretical ecological underpinnings. Over the past several
decades, the field of biological control has undergone a lot of
criticism, in particular due to past releases of agents that were
not host specific, and this book describes the important changes in
the field so that today it is considered a green, as well as
effective, pest control approach.' Ann Elizabeth Hajek, Cornell
University, New York
'…a volume of remarkable breadth that, in addition to serving as
the new standard textbook on biological control, will be of unusual
interest to invasion biologists.' Daniel Simberloff, Biol
Invasions
'It is an oftentimes cerebral and always well-referenced discussion
of scientific issues facing biological control, and their
implications for its practice. … The volume is an advanced tour de
force by two leaders in the field …' Donald C. Weber, The Quarterly
Review of Biology
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