Contribution of insect pest and disease research in forest biodiversity conservation and management.
2007
Farrah Effa, D. | Arthur, Y.C.
Insect pest and disease research is often associated with agricultural crop management in order to maximize the production. Looking from a different perspective, information from pest and disease research can contribute towards forest biodiversity conservation and management. In forest plantations as well as in natural forests, pest and diseases are among the factors that affect the well-being of the trees and also other living organisms within a habitat. Thus, documentation and understanding the life cycle of prominent pests and diseases and their ecology could provide salient information that could reduce risks of outbreaks which are detrimental to a forested habitat. This would further enhance and improve forest biodiversity conservation and management. Indirectly, by keeping populations of pests and disease-causing organisms in check, biodiversity of various life forms would generally sustain or increase, besides maintaining healthy growth of trees. It is often highlighted that biodiversity has a role to play in cotrolling levels of pests and disease vectors. Conversely, pest and disease research can also contribute significantly towards biodiversity conservation, e.g. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) promotes activies that reduce health and environmental risks of pesticide application. It is based on the principle that, if predators, parasites and other pathogen exist in balance with pest species, then depredations on useful plants are minimized. This lesson was learned from the widespread use of broad-spectrum insecticides which killed off many insects pests` natural predators and parasites, and allowed pest numbers to build up, with large-scale and unhindered destruction of trees. The diversification of novel approaches in pest and disease control, such as using viruses, bacteria, fungi, pheromones and insect pest sterilization may contribute postively towards biodiversity conservation.
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