Question

What is the ecological principle behind the biological control method of managing pest insects?

Answer 1

Hint: The biological means living. The living organisms survive on feeding other living organisms including pests or insects. This phenomenon was observed and applied to control pests or insect populations.

Complete step by step answer: Harry Scott Smith at the 1919 meeting of the Pacific Slope Branch of the American Association in California introduced the term ‘Biological control’.
-The biological control method of pest and insect management is a technique employed to control unwanted populations of insects. For example, pests invading human homes, agricultural lands where pests and insects are majorly found lurking over the crops, and in the wild. It is considered an important component of Integrated Pest Management.
-The biological control method is purely based on the predation or parasitism principle. Although the major principle is predation active human management is also a natural and important process involved in it.
-The natural enemies or predators of insects or pests that feed primarily on them are introduced as biological control agents. The biological control agents employed for plant diseases are known as antagonists. The various organisms that are used as biological control agents include predators, parasitoids, pathogens like bacteria, fungi, viruses, and competitor species.
-This method works on three basic strategies of importation, augmentation, and conservation. In importation, a naturally occurring enemy of the insect is introduced for that insect’s clearance. The augmentation employs the introduction of a large number of natural enemy species of the insect or pest to be controlled. And conservation is a measure taken to balance the natural enemies by regular re-establishment.

Note: The biological control of pest management is eco-friendly and easy to perform. Although it is much beneficial than chemical methods have certain side-effects. It can negatively affect biodiversity if non-target species are attacked by the introduced predator species. Thus, a proper study should be conducted first on the biological control agent feeding habit before introducing them in nature.