Ecology and Pest Management discusses the importance of understanding a pest population's ecology for effective management. Key points include:
- Biotic and abiotic factors influence pest populations and must be understood to manage density. Ecology studies these complex interactions.
- Population characteristics like density, natality, mortality, and dispersal are important to monitor. A balance of these factors determines population growth.
- Effective pest management requires integrating cultural, mechanical, physical, biological and chemical controls within the context of the pest's ecology to keep populations below economic thresholds without adverse environmental impacts.