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Assessing natural pest control potential across the world’s agroecosystems using traits-based ecology, ecological modeling, and global databases

Lady beetle larvae eats an aphid
Source: Pixabay

Predicting and optimizing biodiversity-driven ecosystem services to crops are critical components of the sustainable management of agricultural landscapes. Biological control of insect pests by their natural enemies is one such service, but it is difficult to predict beyond specific systems due to the lack of a unifying predictive framework. This project combines large empirical databases, functional ‘archetypes’ of crop-pest-enemy systems, and ecological modeling to build the first model-driven, open access global map assessing the potential for and threats to natural pest control.

Led by: Prof. Dr. Emily Poppenborg Martin, Prof. Dr. Yann Clough (Lund University), Dr. Nikos Alexandridis (Lund University)

Year: 2018

Funding: Working group of the BECC strategic research area, Lund University, Sweden

Duration: 01.01.2020 – 31.12.2023