Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7291-5205

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 1-5-2023

Publication Title

Ecological complexity and avoiding pest resurgence: intuitions from mathematical ecology

Department

Environmental Studies Program

Additional Department

Ecology, Evolution, Environment and Society

Abstract

Pest resurgence is defined by a predictable increase in pests following declines resulting from the implementation of pest management practices. This phenomenon is notorious; familiar in biblical references to cyclical plagues of locust and discussions of pesticide treadmills, where pests resurge following the evolution of pesticide resistance. Targeted “silver-bullet” approaches, whether chemical, mechanical, biological, or genetic in nature, apply a reductionist lens toward the removal of a specific target pest, often ignoring ecological context, by application of said silver-bullet. In this review article, we cover how past and recent developments in theoretical ecology and complex systems dynamics provide a general and intuitive understanding of the classic problem of pest resurgence from a holistic perspective. We provide an illustrative example of a simple predator-prey model to demonstrate how complex interactions between predator control agents and their target pest prey can create alternative stable states, reproducing pest resurgence dynamics by locking systems in the outbreak stable state.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2022.2164639

Original Citation

Ong, T. W., & Vandermeer, J. H. (2023). Ecological complexity and avoiding pest resurgence: intuitions from mathematical ecology. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 47(3), 466–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2022.2164639

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