Insect pests of forest plants and their management

Abstract

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), land with tree crown cover (or stand density) of more than about 20% of the total area is defined as 'forest' in 'developed regions', whereas in 'developing countries', ecosystems with a minimum of only 10% tree (and/or bamboo) crown cover can be referred to as 'forest'. Insects serve important functions in the ecosystem of forests, both from a beneficial or neutral perspective and as "pests." Insects interact with trees and the surrounding abiotic and biotic conditions on multiple, complex levels. Trees are just as vulnerable to insect destruction as agricultural produce. It is only possible to control insects and diseases if their precise identification, biology, most susceptible stage, peak activity period, and environmental relationships are known. The objective of forest pest management should be to keep all system components in a state of equilibrium that increases the chance of long-term sustainability. Effective tree pest management requires careful consideration of ecological and economic concerns. Identification of the pest, its biology, and the kind of damage are among the elements that influence the selection of appropriate management tactics and treatments, if any. In the end, judgements on pest management reflect a compromise between the value of the product, the level of pest damage, the relative efficacy and expense of control methods, and the influence on the environment. Therefore, forest pest management has a solid conceptual, methodological, and technical basis for incorporation into forest resource management planning and operations. To make pest control an integrated element of forest resource management, the "wait and see" strategy must be replaced with a "look ahead" policy. Strategies for pest monitoring and control must be completely integrated into the whole planning and decision-making process. Conventional control methods continue to be the primary instrument for the majority of pest situations and the foundation of integrated pest management systems. As a result, forest managers and aspiring entomologists must be well-versed in a variety of pest control techniques and alternatives for using them separately or in combinations as a component of forest pest management.