Biological control of invasive plant species: a reassessment for the Anthropocene

CONTENTS: 490 I. 490 II. 491 III. 492 IV. 494 V. 497 VI. 498 499 References 499 SUMMARY: The science of finding, testing and releasing herbivores and pathogens to control invasive plant species has achieved a level of maturity and success that argues for continued and expanded use of this program. T...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The New phytologist 2015, Vol.205 (2), p.490-502
Main Author: Seastedt, Timothy R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Anthropocene
Biodiversity
Biological control
biological control agents
biologists
Climate Change
Conservation of Natural Resources
Control programs
Economic benefits
ecosystem stewardship
Environmental changes
Flowers & plants
Herbivores
Herbivory
humans
Introduced Species
invasion science
invasive plant management
Invasive plants
Invasive species
Mitigation
Pathogens
Plant species
Population Dynamics
risk
stakeholders
Tansley reviews
Uncertainty
Weed Control - methods
Weed Control - trends
wicked problem
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Summary:CONTENTS: 490 I. 490 II. 491 III. 492 IV. 494 V. 497 VI. 498 499 References 499 SUMMARY: The science of finding, testing and releasing herbivores and pathogens to control invasive plant species has achieved a level of maturity and success that argues for continued and expanded use of this program. The practice, however, remains unpopular with some conservationists, invasion biologists, and stakeholders. The ecological and economic benefits of controlling densities of problematic plant species using biological control agents can be quantified, but the risks and net benefits of biological control programs are often derived from social or cultural rather than scientific criteria. Management of invasive plants is a ‘wicked problem’, and local outcomes to wicked problems have both positive and negative consequences differentially affecting various groups of stakeholders. The program has inherent uncertainties; inserting species into communities that are experiencing directional or even transformational changes can produce multiple outcomes due to context‐specific factors that are further confounded by environmental change drivers. Despite these uncertainties, biological control could play a larger role in mitigation and adaptation strategies used to maintain biological diversity as well as contribute to human well‐being by protecting food and fiber resources.
ISSN:0028-646X
1469-8137
DOI:10.1111/nph.13065