History and ecological basis for areawide pest management.

Abstract

Abstract This chapter describes the history and development of areawide pest management (AWPM), the ecological theory and models supporting (AWPM), and the management of insect resistance. AWPM programmes, including eradication programmes, have provided some outstanding successes both in cost effectiveness and in the level and durability of control. Successful programmes were based on detailed knowledge of the biology of the target pest and on proven technologies for suppressing its populations. While some programmes have been highly successful, there are opportunities to refine approaches through the application of ecological concepts and technology, which could make AWPM applicable to a broader range of pest species and make it more economical in terms of money and time. Recent advances in ecology, particularly from the fields of metapopulation and landscape ecology, are applicable for the study of candidate species for AWPM. Application of ecological concepts, particularly when complemented by modelling and other supporting technologies, could help in defining the spatial limits of the total population from an operational viewpoint, and in optimizing AWPM programmes.