This book includes chapters focusing on the principles of biological control and influence of policy, ecology and diversity in establishing successful programs. Plantation forests have a crucial role to meet the fiber demands of a growing world population, especially considering the concerning decrease in the world’s total forest area. One of the greatest threats to the sustainability of plantation forestry is insect pests. Among the approaches that can be used to manage populations of insect pests, biological control is considered one of the most feasible and effective approaches to use in plantation forests.
The authors review past and current major biological control programs in different plantation forest systems, including pine, eucalyptus and poplar, and including classical, conservation and augmentative approaches. Other chapters examine opportunities to use new technologies and integrated approaches and identify future challenges in the use of biological control.
Brett Hurley is a professor at the Department of Zoology and Entomology and the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. His research focuses on insect pests of plantation forest trees, examining the effect of these interactions and how these effects can be managed in the context of an integrated pest management program. His three main research areas are biological control and management of forest insect pests, spread of invasive forest insects, and other aspects of the biology and ecology of forest insect pests.
Simon Lawson is an associate professor in Forest Health at the Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. His research focus is in developing effective, sustainable management methods for insect pests of forests, with an emphasis on biological control and chemical ecology methods. He also has a strong interest in forest biosecurity, especially in international collaborations that promote forest protection globally.
Bernard Slippers is the director of the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) and Innovation Africa @UP. He is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology. Bernard studies interactions between organisms in a changing global context. He uses molecular, chemical and sensor technologies to develop precision pest management tools for insects and microorganisms that affect plant health.
