IPM and Ecosystems Flashcards
What is IPM
Integrated Pest Management, It is a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health and environmental risks
6 Steps with IPM
- Pest ID
- Prevention
- Monitoring
- Choose Option
- Action
- Evaluation
what are the two prevention means?
- removing conditions that attract pests
- improving conditions that maintain pest density below the
economic threshold
Two types of ecosystems in question
- Agro-ecosystem (managed by humans)
- Natural ecosystem (Managed by nature)
Main differences between the two types of ecosystems
Natural ecosystems are highly diverse, highly stable, and very resilient to change. There are highly complex networks of ecological interactions and the succession of communities is very slow.
3 main considerations with agro-ecosystems
- Cropping pattern is monoculture
- Plant geometry is fixed
- Plant species and selection is done by humans
What do we need to improve in our agro-ecosystems?
The Natural parts and ecological corridors. Habitats must be as diversified as possible
2 main ways that we can increase biodiversity?
- The use of cover crops
- Field Margin manipulation by preserving non-crop buffer strips, and preserving/planting hedgerows.
In terms of ecological corridors we want to…
Increase connectivity for higher biodiversity
Hedges are…
Bio-factories with low operating costs increasing parasitoids and predators
What kinds of plants to we need to plant and seed?
Native or autochthonous plants
What is an example of a keystone habitat that could be found in a well designed vineyard
Pollinator habitat
4 points in summation
- Know the ecosystem (habitats that can be hosted and native plants)
- Diversify habitats as much as possible
- Identify alien species and fight them
- The more area-wide approach, the better
