Ecosystem Services Provided by Unmanaged Habitats in Agricultural Landscapes

Abstract

Insect pest management can be sustainably accomplished with reduced or no insecticide application by using unmanaged vegetation to enhance conservation biological control and the ecosystem service (ES) of controlling insect pest populations in agricultural landscapes. This chapter is focused on the role of natural enemies in reducing insect pest populations, how the effectiveness of natural enemies can be enhanced using unmanaged vegetation and non-crop vegetation and how habitat manipulation at a landscape scale can affect natural enemy effectiveness. The first parts of the chapter discuss ES in agriculture, including the global importance of insect pest management using agro-ecological approaches. The following sections re the effect of unmanaged vegetation on natural enemies, and examine how and when landscape complexity can increase the abundance, richness and efficacy of these organisms. Then, the implementation of habitat management practices aimed at maximizing biological pest control is discussed. We conclude by considering the implications of enhancing multiple ES simultaneously and suggest future research opportunities in this area