1211PSS 232 Biological Control Tu Th 11:30-12:45 Aiken 112

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1 1211PSS 232 Biological Control Tu Th 11:30-12:45 Aiken 112 Instructor: Dr. Yolanda Chen Office: Jeffords 209 Office Hours: W 11:00-12:30, or by appointment Yolanda.Chen@uvm.edu Phone: (802) Course description Biological control is the deliberate manipulation of natural enemies to control pests in natural and managed systems. This course explores the theory and application of biological control of insects and weeds. We will focus on the ecological factors that underlie to the success of classical and conservation approaches to biological control of pests. Course Objectives 1. Students will be able to evaluate the relative merits and drawbacks of a classical biological control program. 2. Students will be able to design a conservation biological control program. 3. Students will be able to design a biological control research program for an invasive species. Course Philosophy My goal as an instructor is to develop the critical thinking skills of students in my class. My approach is to use the Socratic Method, which is widely considered to be the oldest and most effective way of developing critical-thinking. In this teaching style, the instructor holds back from directly giving student answers, and instead challenges assumptions, goals, understanding, and examining for contradictions within a scenario. Readings Van Driesche, R., M. Hoddle, and T. Center (2008) Control of pests and weeds by natural enemies: an introduction to biological control. Blackwell Publishing. 484 pgs. Additional readings will be posted on Blackboard Course Structure The course consists of readings, discussions, short lectures, in-class exercises, exams and presentations. The exams will be based upon the books and lectures and will be primarily held on Tuesdays. Participation Each week, on Thursdays, we will discuss one paper from the primary literature. Each undergraduate student will be expected to read and lead the discussion on the paper twice

2 over this semester. Undergraduate students will be assigned in groups of two or three to lead the discussion, while Graduate students will be expected to lead discussions by themselves. Students that are not leading the discussion will still be expected to participate in class discussions, which will contribute to their overall course participation grade. I will be looking for evidence that each student has read the paper. If you show up but do not speak during discussion, I will assume that you have not read the paper and you will get half the number of Participation points. Course Evaluation Final grades will be based upon leadership in discussion, participation in discussions, and the term paper. The grading scale will proceed as follows: A = %, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69%, F 60% of total points. Late Policy: Five points will be deducted for each day that an assignment is late. No homework will be accepted after 3 days. Graduate students will be expected to develop a more extensive project after consultation with the instructor. They will also be expected to present two background chalk-talks. Last day for add/drop, audit, pass/no pass changes: Jan 27 Last day to withdraw: March 28 Grading: Undergraduate Graduate Attendance Participation Homework + peer review Quizzes Midterm Exam Final Exam Total Points: Expectations 1. Students are expected to follow the UVM student code of conduct 2. Attendance is mandatory and students are expected to participate in the class. 3. No cell phone or laptop use in the classroom. 4. Five points will be deducted for each day an assignment is late. Assignments will not be accepted after 3 days unless you have excused absences from Rose Laba in the CALS Student Services Division or the student services staff person for your college. 5. In order to be accepted, homework assignments need to be printed out and brought in person to class. 6. Any misconduct will result in disciplinary action.

3 Major questions Lecture (Tuesdays. Readings from Van Driesche et al. 2008) A. What are the merits and drawbacks of a classical biological control program? 1. Why is biological control needed? The invasion crisis Ways to suppress invasive species Classical biological control B. How do we design a research program biological control for an invasive species? 1. How does the biology of a species contribute to its effectiveness as a biological control agent? Parasitoid diversity and ecology Predator diversity and ecology Weed biocontrol agent diversity and ecology 2. How does biological control work? Interaction webs as a the conceptual framework for classical biological control Population biology and population models Classical biological control Weed biological control 3. What are the methods for developing a classical biological control program? Methods for Classical biological control Non-target impacts of biological control agents Predicting natural enemy host ranges Assessing natural enemy impacts B. How do we design a conservation biological control program? Protecting natural enemies Enhancing crops as natural enemy environments Readings 1. Are multiple natural enemies more effective than a single natural enemy for controlling insect pests? Denoth, M., L. Frid, and J. H. Myers, Multiple agents in biological control: improving the odds? Biological Control 24(1): Van Hezewijk, B. H. and R. S. Bourchier Impact of Cyphocleonus achates on diffuse knapweed and its interaction with Larinus minutus. Biological Control 62: Schmidt, M. H. and A. Lauer, T. Purtauf, C. Thies, M. Schaefer, and T. Tscharntke Relative importance of predators and parasitoids for cereal aphid control. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Sect. B. 270(1527):

4 Gaigher, R., M. J. Samways, and S. Van Noort Saving a tropical ecosystem from a destructive ant-scale (Pheidole megacephala, Pulvinaria urbicola) mutualism with support from a diverse natural enemy assemblage. Biological Invasion 15(9): What is the importance of natural enemy biodiversity for conservation biological control? Crowder, D. W., T. D. Northfield, M. R. Strand, and W. E. Snyder Organic agriculture promotes evenness and natural pest control. Nature 466: Settle, W. H., H. Ariawan, E. T. Astuti, et al Managing tropical rice pests through conservation of generalist natural enemies and alternative prey. Ecology 77(7): Skirvin, D. J., L. Kravar-Garde, K. Reynolds, C. Wright, and A. Mead The effect of within-crop habitat manipulations on the conservation biological control of aphids in field-grown lettuce. Bulletin of Entomological Research 101: Straub, C. S., D. L. Finke, and W. E. Snyder Are the conservation of natural enemy biodiversity and biological control compatible goals? Biological Control 45: Lu, Y., K. Wu, Y. Jiang, Y. Guo, and N. Desneux Wiedespread adoption of Bt cotton and insecticide decrease promotes biocontrol services. Nature 487:

5 Student Questionnaire PSS 232 Name Year Major Why are you taking this class? What are you hoping to learn in this class? What are you interested in doing after you graduate?