Ecology/Biological Control

Adjunct/Affiliate Faculty: Gerald Brust, Conrad Labandeira, John Lil

Staff: Sandra Sardanelli

Research expertise in the areas of theoretical and applied ecology is broadly represented in the Department of Entomology and includes behavioral ecology, foraging theory, life history evolution, the evolution of social systems, ecological genetics, chemical ecology, microbial ecology, ecological stoichiometry, plant-insect and predator-prey interactions, host-parasite and host-pathogen relationships, multi-trophic interactions, population dynamics and dispersal, community ecology, and food-web dynamics. In addition, the faculty maintains a sincere commitment to the application of ecological theory to biological control, pest management, habitat restoration, and conservation biology. Active research programs supported by NSF and USDA are ongoing in both natural (forests, old-fields, streams, and wetlands) and managed systems (agriculture, production ornamentals, rural-to-urban landscapes, forest plantations, and urban habitats).

Biological Control and Ecology

Maryland has a long and rich tradition of biological control involving colaborative projects with federal, state and county agencies and institutions (Maryland Department of Agriculture, University of Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, and Extension Service), and private industry. The first recorded attempt to introduce a parasitoid of an arthropod pest into the United States occurred in Maryland in 1881. Subsequent to this initial focus on classical biological control, current research efforts emphasize the conservation of natural enemies, augmentative releases, and investigations into the basic ecology and behavior of natural enemies. Faculty and students are involved in ecological studies on predators, parasitoids, and pathogens aimed at understanding their role in the suppression of arthropod pests.

Transgenic Studies

Concerning pest management at large, a number of faculty are also involved in the development and implementation of biologically-based controls involving gene transfer, habitat manipulations, and the use of resistant transgenic cultivars. Projects include the use of transgenic crops, the isolation of bioactive substances from microbial symbionts of insects, and the identification and incorporation of genes from entomopathogenic fungi into plants. Current extension projects involving biological control focus on the evaluation of a variety of management strategies in which natural enemies are used as control agents of major pests of agricultural crops, ornamental plants, and turf grass throughout Maryland.

Impact on Habitats

Recently, several faculty members have extended their ecological expertise to address other applied problems associated with the consequences of transgenic crops on non-target organisms, habitat fragmentation and disturbance on the genetic structure of populations, food-web dynamics and diversity of arthropod-based communities, and overall biodiversity. Other research programs are addressing theoretical and practical issues concerning the restoration of degraded habitats and the conservation of rare and threatened species.