Pluralistic Valuation of Codling Moth Regulation by Brown Long-Eared Bats in English Apple Orchards

The benefits humans utilise from the ecological interactions of the Brown Long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) have gone relatively unnoticed in the UK. This study aimed to expose one such interaction through a pluralistic valuation of Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) regulation by P. auritus in the cont...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2022-09, Vol.14 (19), p.11966
Main Authors: Murphy, Francis, Ament, Joe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural economics
Agricultural ecosystems
Apple
Apples
Arthropods
Biodiversity
Codling-moth
Consumption
Control
Costs
Cultural heritage
Diseases and pests
Economists
Ecosystem services
Ecosystems
Environmental economics
Externality
Fruits
Land development
Local communities
Loss reduction
Market prices
Methods
Orchards
Pesticides
Plant reproduction
Population dynamics
Pragmatism
Predation
Sustainability
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainable development
Valuation
Valuation methods
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Summary:The benefits humans utilise from the ecological interactions of the Brown Long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) have gone relatively unnoticed in the UK. This study aimed to expose one such interaction through a pluralistic valuation of Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) regulation by P. auritus in the context of English apple orchards. A stage-structured model linking C. pomonella population dynamics through consumption by P. auritus was created to understand crop loss reduction estimates due to this predation. The model found that the presence of a single P. auritus individual resulted in a significant reduction of 81.06–83.68% crop lost per hectare. The results of the avoided costs methods yielded a range of economic estimates with between GBP 307.59 and 604.95/ha private, ecological and social costs being avoided. Traditional biodiverse apple orchards that support P. auritus habitats are at risk from land development and agricultural intensification which would have serious consequences on biodiversity. The findings of this study could form the basis of further research that informs apple orchard managers, local communities dependent on apple production and policymakers of the importance of ecosystem services in sustainable agriculture.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su141911966