AMANDA a mandate

[Thomas Daniel <danielt@u.washington.edu>]

This week Amanda Stanley speaks to Mathbio.

We meet as always in 114 KINCAID HALL    1230 Wed and Friday.



Using matrix models to improve biological control of weeds

Invasive weeds can cause major change in ecosystems and communities,
including loss of biodiversity, altered nutrient cycling, and economic
damage.  However, side effects from typical chemical controls are
becoming an increasingly serious problem.  Biological control,
introducing a
natural enemy from the invader's native range, has the potential to be
cost-effective and relatively "safe".  However, only 33% of biocontrol
releases have been effective.  Given that each biocontrol introduction
is both risky and costly, it makes sense to ensure that any new
biocontrol
agent has a high probability of success.  To understand the potential
impact of a new biocontrol herbivore, we need to determine not only the
effects of the herbivore on plant performance, but also how these
changes in plant performance affect plant population dynamics.  This is
rarely
done, as it requires extensive knowledge of the weed's demography.  This
week I will present some data on the demography of spotted
knapweed, and discuss why two seed predators failed as biocontrols.  I
will use my data to build a stage-based matrix model, and explore the
potential impacts of different types of herbivores on population
dynamics.

---- Begin included message ----

• To: "Thomas Daniel" <danielt@u.washington.edu>
• Subject: math bio
• From: "Amanda G. Stanley" <astanley@u.washington.edu>
• Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 11:49:08 -0800

Using matrix models to improve biological control of weeds

 

Invasive weeds can cause major change in ecosystems and communities, including loss of biodiversity, altered nutrient cycling, and economic damage.  However, side effects from typical chemical controls are becoming an increasingly serious problem.  Biological control, introducing a natural enemy from the invader's native range, has the potential to be cost-effective and relatively "safe".  However, only 33% of biocontrol releases have been effective.  Given that each biocontrol introduction is both risky and costly, it makes sense to ensure that any new biocontrol agent has a high probability of success.  To understand the potential impact of a new biocontrol herbivore, we need to determine not only the effects of the herbivore on plant performance, but also how these changes in plant performance affect plant population dynamics.  This is rarely done, as it requires extensive knowledge of the weed's demography.  This week I will present some data on the demography of spotted knapweed, and discuss why two seed predators failed as biocontrols.  I will use my data to build a stage-based matrix model, and explore the potential impacts of different types of herbivores on population dynamics.

---- End included message ----