Understanding the side effects of classical biological control

Dean E. Pearson

Treesearch

Understanding the side effects of classical biological control

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Dean E. Pearson

Year:

2008

Type:

Science Bulletins and Newsletters

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 3.

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Abstract

Classical biological control involves the use of imported natural enemies to suppress or control populations of the target pest species below an economically or ecologically relevant threshold. Biological control is a useful tool for mitigating the impacts of exotic invasive plants; however, its application is not without risk (see Carruthers and D’Antonio 2005, and articles contained in this special issue). Research by me and my colleagues has demonstrated that gallfly biological control agents introduced for spotted knapweed control have several unintended impacts on nontarget species.

Keywords

biological control, pest species, invasive species, gallfly, spotted knapweed

Citation

Pearson, Dean. 2008. Understanding the side effects of classical biological control. In: Kim, Mee-Sook; Butler, Jack, ed. Invasive Species Science Update (No. 2). Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 3.