Risk analysis and management decisions for weed biological control agents: Ecological theory and modeling results
Authored by MC Andersen, M Ewald, J Northcott
Date Published: 2005
DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2005.05.003
Sponsors:
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Platforms:
No platforms listed
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Flow charts
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
Biologically based control methods offer many advantages for the control
of invasive plant species; however, these methods are not without risks
to native species. Thus, there is a need for more effective and
efficient methods of risk analysis for biological control agents. We
show how the process of ecological risk assessment established by the
United States' Environmental Protection Agency may be adapted to improve
assessment of the risks of proposed biological control agents. We
discuss the risks posed by weed biological control agents, and present a
simple individual-based model of herbivorous insect movement and
oviposition on two species of host plant, a target invasive plant
species and a non-target native species, in simulated landscapes. The
model shows that risks of non-target impacts may be influenced by the
details of the movement behavior of biological control agents in
heterogeneous landscapes. The specific details of insect movement that
appear to be relevant are readily measured in field trials and the
general modeling approach is readily adapted to real landscapes. Current
biological control risk assessments typically emphasize effects analysis
at the expense of exposure analysis; the modeling approach presented
here provides a simple and feasible way to incorporate exposure
analyses. We conclude that models such as ours should be given serious
consideration as part of a comprehensive strategy of risk assessment for
proposed weed biological control agents. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All
rights reserved.
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Economics
Conservation
Dispersal
patterns
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insects
Foraging behavior
Neutral landscape models