Author
Philip Weyl
p.weyl@cabi.org
CABI, Delémont, Switzerland
Abstract
Classical biological control of weeds relies on selecting not only highly specific but also ecologically compatible agents capable of reducing invasive plant populations. However, climate change is increasingly complicating both target and agent selection by reshaping environmental suitability, insect-plant interactions and ecosystem processes. Climate mediated shifts in weed phenology, plant nutritional quality, and agent life-history traits, will influence not only establishment success but also long-term impact and the potential for non-target interactions. This keynote will examine how environmental change may affect the criteria and processes used to select target weeds and their prospective control agents. The integration of climatic tolerance of both the agents and the weed into pre-release evaluations is vital, alongside traditional host-specificity testing. I will also discuss the importance of coupling species distribution models with mechanistic physiological data, to better predict future biological control performance under various climate scenarios. Ultimately, building in climate resilience into both target and agent selection is essential for ensuring biological control success in an era of rapid environmental change.
keywords
agent impact
prioritisation
thermal physiology
Highlights
Biocontrol agents and target weeds can effectively be prioritised
Climate change may affect plant insect interaction in the introduced range and needs to be taken into account in the early stages of pre-release testing.
Studies on the effects of climate on insect and plant physiology will allow for better predictions of safe and effective biological control programmes.