Ecological Engineering as an Emerging Technology for the Management of Insect-Pests
Mohan C.
Division of Forest Protection, Tropical Forest Research Institute (ICFRE), Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (482 021), India
DOI: NIL
Keywords: Ecosystem, Habitat manipulation, Insect pests, Natural enemies
Abstract
Ecological engineering is a human activity that modifies the environment based on ecological principles. It is a useful conceptual framework for considering the practice of habitat manipulation for pest management. The form of ecological engineering presents an attractive option for the design of sustainable agro-ecosystems and it is also less risky. Ecological engineering can be complemented by other methods and should not be promoted as a standalone method. Commonly these will employ biological control agents that have been released in classical or augmentative manners. In such instances habitat management holds considerable potential for enhancing the success rates of classical agents, and to maximize the persistence and impact on pest population of augmentative agents. In the near future, these formerly separate branches of biological control will be merged to synergistic effect in “integrated biological control”.
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Reference
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