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Introduction to the Collection: Climate Change, Insect Pests, and Beneficial Arthropods in Production Systems
Sanford D Eigenbrode1, Subodh Adhikari1, Erica Kistner-Thomas2
1Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
Journal of Economic Entomology
|July 28, 2022
Summary
Climate change impacts insect pests and pollinators, altering their ranges and behaviors. Understanding these biological and management effects is crucial for agriculture and forestry adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Entomology
- Climate Science
Background:
- Climate change is altering insect pest pressure and pollinator effectiveness in agriculture and forestry.
- Insects are shifting geographic ranges, voltinism, abundance, and phenology due to warming.
- These shifts result from direct climate effects and indirect interactions across trophic levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the complex, variable effects of climate change on insect pests and pollinators.
- To investigate how agricultural and forestry management practices adapt to climate change and influence insect communities.
- To synthesize biological and management-related effects for effective climate change response in ecosystems.
Main Methods:
- Review of current research on climate-driven insect responses.
- Analysis of studies on changes in insect pest pressure and pollinator abundance/effectiveness.
- Examination of indirect effects from modified agricultural and forestry production systems.
Main Results:
- Climate change causes complex and variable effects on insects, sometimes increasing pest pressure or reducing pollination.
- Warming drives shifts in insect geographic ranges, voltinism, abundance, and phenology.
- Changes in crop rotations, varieties, and intercropping practices significantly impact associated insect communities.
Conclusions:
- Anticipating and responding to climate change requires a comprehensive scope of both direct biological effects and indirect management-related effects on insects.
- Further research is needed on the understudied effects of production system modifications on insect communities.
- Integrated strategies considering insect biology and management are essential for climate change adaptation in agricultural and forest systems.
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