Abstract
Invasive insect species and their impacts on ecosystem services in productive landscape
Breaking barriers: Advancing the one health agenda with a focus on environment
Invertebrate biodiversity services and invasive species
M. Healey, Research Fellow (University of the Sunshine Coast), FAO Fellow
In agricultural and forestry landscapes, ecosystem services provide economic and social benefits to humans through provision of food, income and forage. For environment, these productive agroecosystems support the regulation of soil and water quality, carbon sequestration, support for biodiversity and cultural services. But productive landscapes are under growing threat from invasive insect pests. The rate of invasive pest introductions is at least constant if not growing and represents ongoing threats to environment, livelihoods, biodiversity and ecosystem service benefits. They reduce crop yield, disrupt plant health and ecosystem service provision. If we consider forests, we know they reduce environmental vulnerability and increase the resilience of ecosystems, landscapes, and the households of forest dependent people. But forests are at risk of degradation and deforestation by the establishment of invasive pests. Each year outbreaks of insect pests alone cause damage to around 35 million ha of forests, globally, and invasive pests are considered one of the most important causes of biodiversity loss. Climate change is altering the geographical range of invasive pests. Growing global trade is a significant driver for sustaining the movement of pests and their introduction into these new areas and new crops. Invasive pest impacts are often irreversible and therefore should be prioritised by decision makers in developing coordinated plans to mitigate the risk of invasive impacts in productive and natural landscapes. Here I present the impact of invasive insect pests on productive landscapes, drawing on forestry examples to highlight the effects of invasive impacts to ecosystem services as they relate to economic, social and environmental wellbeing. I discuss methods for avoiding invasive insect establishment in our productive landscapes using a project in SE Asia as an example that focuses on a joined-up approach through technical and policy activities to mitigate invasive pest risk.