The Application of Ecological Principles to Orchard Entomology in Canada

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Abstract
A knowledge of ecological principles is essential to the successful development of future research on pest control problems in Canadian orchard entomology. Such knowledge should be especially helpful in spotlighting omissions in past studies as well as indicating new areas of study in the future. In particular, the ecosystem concept should serve not only as a basis for evaluating and bringing together existing data but also as a guide in the collection, integration and interpretation of new data. Our approach should be to study the population dynamics of major arthropod pests in Canadian apple orchards to obtain data of the fundamental kind on natural populations of these species. Since this approach is dependent on precise measurement of the population and its mortality factors, as well as on the mathematical modelling of the data obtained, unambiguous deduction and greater understanding and utilization of the results would then be possible. Examples from a recent eight-year study of the population dynamics of two pest species in Canadian apple orchards reveal that the fundamental approach to pest problems in Canada is both feasible and practical, and that the results can yield considerable insight into the role of mortality factors in population regulation as well as in control of pest stages of economic importance.

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