Abstract
The scope, context and science guiding forest pest management have evolved and are likely to continue changing into the future. Here, I present six areas of advice to guide practitioners in the implementation of forest pest management. First, human dimensions will continue to play a key role in most pest problems and should always be a primary consideration in management. Next, managers must recognize that it is practically impossible to use population suppression to prevent outbreaks that extend over large geographic regions. Silvicultural practices can sometimes be effective at reducing forest susceptibility to outbreaks but these methods should be based on sound science. Many of the most damaging forest pests are non-native species and minimizing the invasion problem is most effective when steps are taken early on in the invasion process. Furthermore, classical biological control and selection for host resistance are important approaches to managing established non-native pest species. Finally, plantations of exotic tree species, while often highly productive, are prone to catastrophic damage from invading pests.
Keywords
biological control,
biological invasions,
detection,
eradication,
forest health,
quarantine,
resistance,
surveillance,
silviculture
Citation
Liebhold, Andrew M. 2012. Forest pest management in a changing world. International Journal of Pest Management. 58(3): 289-295.
