Review
Agronomy
Joaquin Gomis-Cebolla, Colin Berry
Summary: This article reviews the potential of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) as an endophyte or rhizospheric bacterium, and evaluates whether Bt as an endophyte/rhizobacterium can simultaneously act against different phytopathogens (fungi, bacteria, insects, and viruses) while promoting plant growth.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Navila Monteagudo, Jose Maria Rey Benayas, Enrique Andivia, Salvador Rebollo
Summary: This study synthesized the effect of birds on pest abundance, product damage, and yield in agricultural and forest systems in different environments. The results showed that birds have a positive effect on pest regulation, leading to a reduction in pest abundance, enhancement of yield, and economic profit. This effect was significant for both ecological and economic indicators and could be influenced by ecosystem type and indicator type.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brent R. Campos, Chris J. Smith, Matthew D. Johnson
Summary: Through a study on the home range utilization of 47 Black-throated Blue Warblers in two coffee farms in Jamaica, it was found that birds selected areas with high coffee shrub cover and high canopy cover. However, when the canopy cover of the coffee farm reached a certain high level, the use of the coffee layer itself decreased, reducing their ability to consume the coffee berry borer.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Hsiao-Hsuan Wang, William E. Grant, Tomasz E. Koralewski, Michael J. Brewer, Norman C. Elliott
Summary: Models capable of simulating both local population dynamics and long-range dispersal of wind-borne pests show promise as components of adaptive areawide pest management programs. However, accurately representing the dispersion and deposition of migrating aphids remains a challenge in forecasting regional infestations by sugarcane aphids. The results suggest a shift in modeling priorities from refinement of local population dynamics to accurate representation of migrating aphids in areawide forecasting.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2021)
Review
Agronomy
Davide Bellone, Antoine Gardarin, Muriel Valantin-Morison, Alan Kergunteuil, Foteini G. Pashalidou
Summary: The heavy use of synthetic pesticides in agriculture has negative impacts on human and environmental health, calling for the development of sustainable pest management strategies. This paper reviews the use of three agricultural techniques in annual cash crops, namely crop spatial diversification, crop temporal diversification, and soil management, to control crop pests through the integration of bioprotection agents. The findings show that each technique targets specific pests and supports different categories of bioprotection agents. The adoption of semiochemicals and natural substances for pest control remains largely unexplored. The integration of bioprotection with agricultural techniques can reduce synthetic pesticide inputs and promote the transition towards sustainable agroecosystems.
AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sarina Macfadyen, Wee Tek Tay, Andrew D. Hulthen, Cate Paull, Andrew Kalyebi, Frances Jacomb, Hazel Parry, Peter Sseruwagi, Zuberi Seguni, Christopher Abu Omongo, Donald Kachigamba, Michael Otim, Nancy Schellhorn, Andrew Polaszek, John Colvin, Paul De Barro
Summary: The study found that the cotton whitefly species SSA1 dominated cassava fields, with other species also present; landscape factors surrounding the field had a significant impact on nymph density and parasitism, including the size of the focal cassava field and the area of cassava in the landscape; unlike other studies, this pattern was not solely related to the amount of non-crop vegetation or crop diversity in the landscape.
Article
Ecology
Lolita Ammann, Aliette Bosem-Baillod, Philipp W. Eckerter, Martin H. Entling, Matthias Albrecht, Felix Herzog
Summary: Predatory insects play a crucial role in natural pest control in agriculture, utilizing plant pollen or nectar as supplementary food sources. Land cover maps were effective in predicting predator abundance, particularly showing positive effects of forest edges. However, floral resource maps may not be as effective in predicting predators due to the potential importance of other resources such as overwintering sites or alternative prey. Further research is needed to enhance understanding of resource requirements beyond floral resources for aphid predators at the landscape scale.
Review
Agronomy
Sanchita Singh, Somnath Rahangdale, Shivali Pandita, Gauri Saxena, Santosh Kumar Upadhyay, Geetanjali Mishra, Praveen C. Verma
Summary: CRISPR/Cas9 technology has shown great potential in controlling insect pests by editing their genomes, leading to more effective pest management strategies. Researchers have highlighted the efficiency and future possibilities of using CRISPR/Cas9 in pest control.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ari Jarvinen, Terho Hyvonen, Sakari Raiskio, Sari J. Himanen
Summary: Pest management in intensive crop production currently underutilizes natural biological control, but intercropping can potentially benefit generalist arthropod predators. A two-year field experiment comparing intercropping and monocropping systems for turnip rape and faba bean revealed a lower abundance of pests in intercropped fields. The abundance of ground-dwelling predators did not differ between cropping systems, with carabid beetles and spiders being the dominant generalist predator taxa. The abundance of turnip rape pests reflected host crop proportions in each cropping system.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Jie Zhang, Shijun You, Dongsheng Niu, Karla Giovana Gavilanez Guaman, Ao Wang, Hafz Sohaib Ahmed Saqib, Weiyi He, Yuan Yu, Guang Yang, Gabor Pozsgai, Minsheng You
Summary: This study expresses gratitude to farmers for allowing sampling and to Tao Li, Lingfei Peng, and Jun Li for their assistance in identifying samples. The research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China and the State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biology
Hend A. Basha, Elsayed M. Mostafa, Ahmed M. Eldeeb
Summary: This study investigated the occurrence and dominance of phytophagous and predatory mites on seven vegetable crops in Egypt, identifying Phytoseiulus persimilis as a potentially effective biocontrol agent from the local mite fauna.
SAUDI JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ying Yan, Roswitha A. Aumann, Irina Haecker, Marc F. Schetelig
Summary: Genetic control strategies, such as the sterile insect technique, have been effective in combating insect pests worldwide. The advancement of CRISPR technology, along with the availability of genomic resources, has greatly facilitated the development of novel genetic control insect strains for area-wide and species-specific pest control programs. This review discusses the progress made in CRISPR-based genetic control strategies, including gene drive, sex ratio distortion, CRISPR-engineered sexing strains, and precision-guided sterile insect technique. The potential resistance mechanisms and regulations are also examined, and recent developments like stacked and conditional systems are highlighted. The authors believe that the ongoing advancements in genetic technology will continue to shape the future of pest control strategies.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Qianru Li, Limei Xian, Linxi Yuan, Zhiqing Lin, Xiaoren Chen, Jianjun Wang, Tao Li
Summary: The applications of selenium (Se) in biomedicine, agriculture, and environmental health have attracted significant research interest. While Se is essential for humans and animals, it also plays important roles in improving plant resistance to various stresses. This review focuses on recent findings regarding the effects and mechanisms of Se on plant fungal diseases and insect pests.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Guillermo Aguilera, Laura Riggi, Kirsten Miller, Tomas Roslin, Riccardo Bommarco
Summary: Biological control by natural enemies, specifically predators, in crop fields is influenced by both local management practices (such as organic manure or inorganic mineral fertilization) and the composition of predator communities in the surrounding landscape. The study found that organic fertilization coupled with predator spillover had a synergistic effect on suppressing aphid growth, highlighting the importance of promoting both local and mobile predators for effective biological insect pest suppression in agricultural ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ilaria Laterza, Paride Dioli, Giovanni Tamburini
Summary: This study investigated the effects of habitat type and landscape composition on stink bug pests in Mediterranean agroecosystems. The results showed that semi-natural habitats supported more stink bug populations, with forests having more overwintering individuals. Forest cover in the landscape was positively related to active stink bug abundance. Simplified landscapes with perennial crops had suitable overwintering sites.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paula Ribeiro Prist, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Luis Filipe Mucci, Adriano Pinter, Renato Pereira de Souza, Renata de Lara Muylaert, Jonathan Roger Rhodes, Cesar Henrique Comin, Luciando da Fontoura Costa, Tatiana Lang D'Agostini, Juliana Telles de Deus, Monica Pavao, Marcio Port-Carvalho, Leila Del Castillo Saad, Maria Anice Mureb Sallum, Roberta Maria Fernandes Spinola, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Landscape connectivity is crucial for disease spread, with the yellow fever virus mainly dispersing through roads adjacent to forests and along forest edges. The spread speed varies by season, with most dispersals occurring within 1 km per day and within a week after arriving at the source node.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Celine Moreaux, Desiree A. L. Meireles, Jesper Sonne, Ernesto Badano, Alice Classen, Adrian Gonzalez-Chaves, Juliana Hipolito, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Pietro K. Maruyama, Jean Paul Metzger, Stacy M. Philpott, Carsten Rahbek, Fernanda T. Saturni, Tuanjit Sritongchuay, Teja Tscharntke, Shinsuke Uno, Carlos H. Vergara, Blandina F. Viana, Niels Strange, Bo Dalsgaard
Summary: Animal pollinators play a crucial role in enhancing coffee fruit set, increasing it by an average of approximately 18%. Dense forests in close proximity to coffee plantations can positively affect fruit set by providing high-quality habitats for bees, while forest cover and distance to open forest have minimal impact on bee richness and coffee fruit set. Further research is needed to better understand the biodiversity value of dense forest for pollinators and their pollination services.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
P. G. C. Ruggiero, A. Pfaff, P. Pereda, E. Nichols, J. P. Metzger
Summary: The ICMS-E policy in Brazil incentivizes the establishment of PAs by municipalities to receive financial rewards, but the impact decreases as more PAs are created. States use ICMS-E to encourage local implementation of conservation preferences, while municipal governments focus on low-cost actions to increase revenue.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Adrian Gonzalez-Chaves, Luisa G. Carvalheiro, Lucas A. Garibaldi, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Enhancing biodiversity-based ecosystem services can lead to win-win opportunities for conservation and agricultural production. Forest cover is a crucial factor affecting coffee yields, and coffee cover is the most relevant management practice associated with coffee yield prediction.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hugo Reis Medeiros, Felipe Martello, Jean Paul Metzger, Karen Amanda Harper, Ximo Mengual, Ciro Abbud Righi, Milton Cezar Ribeiro
Summary: Cross-habitat movements are vital for the survival of beneficial insects in agricultural landscapes. This study examined how landscape structure influences the spillover of beneficial insects between crop and non-crop habitats. The findings suggest that predatory wasps forage in coffee plantations but rely on forest remnants for nesting sites and a consistent supply of resources. Forest conservation and restoration should be incorporated into agro-environmental schemes to enhance the spillover of beneficial insects and ecosystem services in coffee farmlands.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ana Carolina Antunes, Anelise Montanarin, Diogo Maia Grabin, Erison Carlos dos Santos Monteiro, Fernando Ferreira de Pinho, Guilherme Costa Alvarenga, Jorge Ahumada, Robert B. Wallace, Emiliano Esterci Ramalho, Adrian Paul Ashton Barnett, Alex Bager, Alexandre Martins Costa Lopes, Alexine Keuroghlian, Aline Giroux, Ana Maria Herrera, Ana Paula de Almeida Correa, Ana Yoko Meiga, Anah Tereza de Almeida Jacomo, Ananda de Barros Barban, Andre Antunes, Andre Giovanni de Almeida Coelho, Andre Restel Camilo, Andre Valle Nunes, Andrea Cristina dos Santos Maroclo Gomes, Antonio Carlos da Silva Zanzini, Arlison Bezerra Castro, Arnaud Leonard Jean Desbiez, Axa Figueiredo, Benoit de Thoisy, Benoit Gauzens, Brunno Tolentino Oliveira, Camilla Angelica de Lima, Carlos Augusto Peres, Carlos Cesar Durigan, Carlos Rodrigo Brocardo, Clarissa Alves da Rosa, Claudia Zarate-Castaneda, Claudio M. Monteza-Moreno, Cleide Carnicer, Cristiano Trape Trinca, Daiana Jeronimo Polli, Daniel da Silva Ferraz, Daniel F. Lane, Daniel Gomes da Rocha, Daniele Cristina Barcelos, David Auz, Dian Carlos Pinheiro Rosa, Diego Afonso Silva, Divino Vicente Silverio, Donald P. Eaton, Eduardo Nakano-Oliveira, Eduardo Venticinque, Elildo Carvalho Junior, Eloisa Neves Mendonca, Emerson Monteiro Vieira, Emiliana Isasi-Catala, Erich Fischer, Erika Paula Castro, Erison Gomes Oliveira, Fabiano Rodrigues de Melo, Fabio de Lima Muniz, Fabio Rohe, Fabricio Beggiato Baccaro, Fernanda Michalski, Fernanda Pozzan Paim, Fernanda Santos, Fernando Anaguano, Francesca Belem Lopes Palmeira, Francielly da Silva Reis, Francisca Helena Aguiar-Silva, Gabriel de Avila Batista, Galo Zapata-Rios, German Forero-Medina, Gilson De Souza Ferreira Neto, Giselle Bastos Alves, Guido Ayala, Gustavo Henrique Prado Pedersoli, Hani R. El Bizri, Helena Alves do Prado, Hugo Borghezan Mozerle, Hugo C. M. Costa, Ivan Junqueira Lima, Jaime Palacios, Jasmine de Resende Assis, Jean P. Boubli, Jean Paul Metzger, Jessica Vieira Teixeira, Joao Marcelo Deliberador Miranda, John Polisar, Julia Salvador, Karen Borges-Almeida, Karl Didier, Karla Dayane de Lima Pereira, Kelly Torralvo, Krisna Gajapersad, Leandro Silveira, Leandro Uceli Maioli, Leonardo Maracahipes-Santos, Leonor Valenzuela, Leticia Benavalli, Lydia Fletcher, Lucas Navarro Paolucci, Lucas Pereira Zanzini, Luciana Zago da Silva, Luiz Claudio Ribeiro Rodrigues, Maira Benchimol, Marcela Alvares Oliveira, Marcela Lima, Marcelia Basto da Silva, Marcelo Augusto dos Santos Junior, Maria Viscarra, Mario Cohn-Haft, Mark Ilan Abrahams, Maximiliano Auguto Benedetti, Miriam Marmontel, Myriam R. Hirt, Natalia Mundim Torres, Orlando Ferreira Cruz Junior, Patricia Alvarez-Loayza, Patrick Jansen, Paula Ribeiro Prist, Paulo Monteiro Brando, Phamela Bernardes Peronico, Rafael do Nascimento Leite, Rafael Magalhaes Rabelo, Rahel Sollmann, Raone Beltrao-Mendes, Raphael Augusto Foscarini Ferreira, Raphaella Coutinho, Regison da Costa Oliveira, Renata Ilha, Renato Richard Hilario, Ricardo Araujo Prudente Pires, Ricardo Sampaio, Roberto da Silva Moreira, Robinson Botero-Arias, Rodolfo Vasquez Martinez, Rodrigo Affonso de Albuquerque Nobrega, Rodrigo Ferreira Fadini, Ronaldo G. Morato, Ronaldo Leal Carneiro, Rony Peterson Santos Almeida, Rossano Marchetti Ramos, Roxana Schaub, Rubem Dornas, Ruben Cueva, Samir Rolim, Samuli Laurindo, Santiago Espinosa, Tais Nogueira Fernandes, Tania Margarete Sanaiotti, Thiago Henrique Gomide Alvim, Tiago Teixeira Dornas, Tony Enrique Noriega Pina, Victor Lery Caetano Andrade, Wagner Tadeu Vieira Santiago, William E. Magnusson, Zilca Campos, Milton Cezar Ribeiro
Summary: The Amazon forest is home to the highest biodiversity on Earth. However, information on the diversity of vertebrates in the Amazonian region is still lacking. In this study, camera traps were used to collect data on mammals, birds, and reptiles in different regions of the Amazon. The resulting dataset is the most comprehensive inventory of species ever compiled for the area, providing opportunities for ecological studies and evaluation of environmental impacts.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pedro Ribeiro Piffer, Marcos Reis Rosa, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Jean Paul Metzger, Maria Uriarte
Summary: Natural forest regeneration is crucial for global ecosystem restoration. This study focuses on the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and reveals that regenerated forests have higher persistence and longevity in areas with steep slopes, close to rivers and existing forests, near permanent agriculture, and in regions with higher economic development and agricultural yield. However, regenerated forests are less likely to persist in areas with higher rural-urban population ratios. The findings emphasize the importance of favorable conditions and policies to promote second-growth forest persistence in tropical regions.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Francisco d'Albertas, Patricia Ruggiero, Luis Fernando Guedes Pinto, Gerd Sparovek, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Agricultural sustainability standards play an important role in reducing the negative impact of commodity expansion on biodiversity. However, the actual conservation benefits derived from certification are not clear. In a study conducted in southern Brazil, it was found that certification had no significant effects on vegetation regeneration, deforestation rates, and vegetation cover deficit in certified farms.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biology
C. Guilherme Becker, Sasha E. E. Greenspan, Renato A. A. Martins, Mariana L. L. Lyra, Paula Prist, Jean Paul Metzger, Vinicius Sao Sao Pedro, Celio F. B. Haddad, Emily H. H. Le Sage, Douglas C. C. Woodhams, Anna E. E. Savage
Summary: Anthropogenic habitat disturbance is altering disease transmission and immunity patterns in vertebrate species. While previous studies have focused on habitat loss and fragmentation, equally important is the process of habitat split, which can lead to population declines and enhanced disease risk. This study links habitat split to disease risk in amphibians by exploring the forces shaping immunity and conducting a field study on tropical frogs. The study proposes a framework to investigate the mechanisms by which habitat split influences disease risk, highlighting the importance of symbiotic microbial communities, immunogenetic variation, and stress hormone levels. The findings suggest that habitat restoration strategies can enhance the vertebrate immune system and reduce disease through connecting multiple natural habitats.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adrian David Gonzalez-Chaves, Luisa Gigante Carvalheiro, Pedro Ribero Piffer, Francisco d'Albertas, Tereza Cristina Giannini, Blandina Felipe Viana, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Restoring native tropical forests is important for protecting biodiversity and ecosystem functions, but the contribution of early stages of forest regeneration to crop productivity is not well understood. A study in Brazil found that young regenerating forests have a positive association with coffee yield when there is a sufficient amount of preserved forest nearby. These findings highlight the importance of both regenerating and mature forests in supporting pollination and pest control services that affect coffee yields. It emphasizes the need for public policies to promote ecosystem restoration and ensure the long-term permanence of these new forests.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Barbara Schroeter, Claudia Sattler, Jean Paul Metzger, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Marie-Josee Fortin, Camila Hohlenwerger, L. Roman Carrasco, Oerjan Bodin
Summary: Inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration in environmental studies face the challenge of effectively communicating across disciplines to address pressing environmental challenges. This research brief evaluates the use of a boundary work approach in a synthesis group on socio-ecological systems, and discusses how it can integrate the knowledge of natural and social scientists. The results show that strategic selection of members, inclusion of boundary spanners, and prior identification of boundary concepts and objects can enhance collaboration and problem-solving in multidisciplinary teams.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Julia Rodrigues Barreto, Renata Pardini, Jean Paul Metzger, Fernando Augusto Barbosa Silva, Elizabeth S. Nichols
Summary: Decades of research have shown that habitat loss does not always lead to biodiversity loss, as exemplified by the study on dung beetle responses to Atlantic Forest loss. While generalist species increased in abundance and distribution, specialist species did not change in overall abundance but exhibited dissimilar distribution. This suggests that habitat loss can lead to biodiversity gain and differentiation, influenced by regional dynamics and the resilience of forest biota. The study emphasizes the importance of sampling across multiple spatial scales to understand the effects of habitat loss on biodiversity.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Clarice Borges-Matos, Martine Maron, Jean Paul Metzger
Summary: Biodiversity offsets are often questioned in terms of their effectiveness. The review of existing condition metrics used in the offsetting context revealed differences in how ecological attributes from biodiversity, landscape, and ecosystem services were included. It is suggested that condition metrics should include the three dimensions of equivalence in a disaggregated way, and the use of modeling, expert opinion, and GIS could facilitate this.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Julia C. Assis, Camila Hohlenwerger, Jean Paul Metzger, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Gabriela T. Duarte, Rafaela A. da Silva, Andrea Larissa Boesing, Paula R. Prist, Milton Cezar Ribeiro
Summary: Despite progress in understanding the effects of landscape structure on ecosystem services, there are challenges in integrating landscape effects on different components of the service provision chain. This study proposes a theoretical framework to explore how the spatial flow of ecosystem services can vary based on landscape structure, emphasizing the role of supply, demand, and neutral areas, as well as individual characteristics of services. The model links landscape metrics with ratios of supply and demand areas to potential effects on spatial flows of ecosystem services.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Kaline de Mello, Alice Brites, Clarice Borges-Matos, Paulo Andre Tavares, Jean Paul Metzger, Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues, Zenilda Ledo dos Santos, Carlos Alfredo Joly, Gerd Sparovek
Summary: Natural ecosystems worldwide are facing severe threats, and environmental policies are crucial in protecting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and addressing climate change. The New Forest Act in Brazil is a key policy for conserving native vegetation on private lands, which account for 54% of the remaining Brazilian native vegetation. However, conflicts between environmental and agricultural concerns hinder the implementation of the Act, highlighting the need for balanced solutions based on scientific evidence.
