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Webinar: Reviewing the Impacts of Climate Change on Biological Control Agents: Identifying Research Priorities and Knowledge Gaps
September 20, 2023 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Biocontrol, the practice of using one species (biocontrol agents) to control another (target pest) is an important management tool. Conservation, augmentative, and classical/importation biocontrol have all been successfully used to reduce target pest species in agriculture and natural systems. Climate change may influence both well-established and new biocontrol relationships, yet the effects of climate change on biocontrol agents remains largely unknown. Using a systematic literature review, we evaluate the empirical evidence for climate change effects on biocontrol agents; identifying the types of biocontrol agents, variety of responses, and environmental conditions most frequently tested by experimental studies. These results highlight the state of the science behind climate change impacts on biocontrol and the areas where both managers and researchers can work together to address current knowledge gaps.