Social-Ecological Pest Analytics

<strong>Agent based simulation modeling to improve the efficiency of HLB management in citrus</strong>.<br />Source: Dr. Weiqi Luo, Risk-based and Infectious Disease Epidemiological Modelling team (CIPM cooperators with USDA at Ft Pierce Florida)

Mission

Our mission is to increase agricultural productivity while optimizing the social and ecological benefits of pest management

Vision

Build a trans-disciplinary team to develop and test innovative tools that reduce the negative impacts of pest management while improving agricultural productivity, sustainability and resilience

Background

In the 21st century, agriculture must ensure a resilient food supply but also reduce the social and ecological impacts of pesticide use.  Social-Ecological System (SES) is a systems approach to study ecological system and associated social actors including institutions, social cycles and social order (Redman et al. 2004). CIPM is currently researching mechanisms to improve the eco-efficiency of pest management by improving productivity while reducing environmental impacts.  CIPM has extensive experience in risk analysis, IPM databases and predictive modeling that make it well placed to lead an effort to better understand the social-ecological dynamics of pest management.

 

Future plans

  • Understand the dynamics of pest management from a social-ecological perspective.
  • Creating working social-ecological models of pest management systems.
  • Develop new socio-economic mechanisms to improve the efficiency of pest management.
  • Evaluate the vulnerability and resilience of pest management systems.
  • Translate research outcomes to impact pest management policies and practices.

 

Citation

Redman CL, Grove JM, Kuby LH (2004) Integrating social science into the long-term ecological research (LTER) network: social dimensions of ecological change and ecological dimensions of social change. Ecosystems 7:161-171.