Trading biodiversity for pest problems

Abstract

Decisions that reduce insect diversity and decrease the network strength in insect communities result in higher pest abundance.

Effects of clothianidin‐treated seed on the arthropod community in a mid‐Atlantic no‐till corn agroecosystem

“…This increase in the visual samples likely occurred because the most abundant taxa, thrips, were significantly reduced by the systemic insecticide, thus resulting in more even composition of arthropod groups. Similarly, a community analysis of arthropods in anthesis stage corn in the Northern Great Plains, discovered a negative correlation between pest abundance and species diversity as well as community evenness, with fewer herbivores found in more even and diverse arthropod communities …”

“…At anthesis, abundances of arthropods were not significantly different from those observed in the control community. Arthropod communities also tend to be the most abundant and diverse at this stage in corn phenology . The decline in non‐target effects over time was likely linked to the decreasing titer of clothianidin in the plants.…”

Investing in the transition to sustainable agriculture

“…Recent quantitative syntheses and meta-analyses demonstrate that these systems can outperform chemically managed monocultures across a wide range of globally important ecosystem services while producing sufficient yields and reducing environmental externalities (Kremen and Miles, 2012;Lundgren and Fausti, 2015). Indeed, in some instances, agroecological farming systems can produce equivalent or higher yields than conventional and monoculture agriculture while enhancing ecosystem services and profitability (Davis et al, 2012;Kremen and Miles, 2012;Seufert et al, 2012;Skinner et al, 2014;Ponisio et al, 2015;Prieto et al, 2015).…”

System-level approach needed to evaluate the transition to more sustainable agriculture

“…Similarly, in wheat fields across three regions in Germany, increasing the proportion of organic fields in the landscape from 5% to 20% more than doubled the richness and abundance of pollinators, on both organic and conventional farms [14,15]. Increasing the use of diversified and organic agriculture in a landscape thus has the potential to improve yields, both through reducing pest damage [13,16] and increasing pollination services [17]. This would also contribute to the profitability of these systems by reducing the costs of inputs such as pesticides [18] or managed honeybees [19].…”

“…Pesticide use is associated with extreme negative impacts on human health and wildlife [29,30]. Simplified landscapes and high pesticide use are strongly associated with increased pest pressure, not pest control [16]. Instead, we need to promote pest control through diversification, using methods of conservation biological control.…”