56. Biocontrol and Climate Change

Organised by Bertie Hennecke to be held at ANU, Canberra. First meeting held 17-20 February, 2009.

PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE Bertie Hennecke (Leader)- U Wollongong - biological control, weed ecology Andy Sheppard - CSIRO - biological control selection, population dynamics Louise Morin - CSIRO - biological control (plant pathogens) Kris French - U Wollongong - weeds ecology William Foley - ANU - plant-insect interactions, insect feeding Adrienne Nicotra - ANU - plant physiology Sharon Robinson - U Wollongong - plant physiology, extreme events David Ellsworth - U Western Sydney - effects of elevated CO2 Darren Kriticos - CSIRO - weeds, climate change, modelling Karina Potter - CSIRO - weeds, modelling Rachel Standish - University Western Australia - plant soil feedbacks Tim Heard - CSIRO - plant-insect interactions John K Scott - CSIRO - weeds, biological control

Feb 09 >

GOAL

Almost 50% of organisms on earth are made up of plants and herbivores and their interactions are powerful drivers shaping communities and ecosystems. For instance, herbivores influence the fitness of plants through both consumption and damage to host plant parts, which forms the basis of the argument behind using insect herbivores as biocontrol agents to control invasive plants in habitats. Changes in environmental physiology associated with current climate changes in particular elevated CO2 and temperatures, alterations in carbon-nitrogen ratio and reduced water availability are likely to have consequences on plant-herbivore interactions. Therefore understanding how these changes may affect plant-herbivore interactions is critical to predict future trends in biological control of invasive plants.

Past and present biological control of weed projects demonstrated that extensive knowledge of plant-agent interactions and other biotic and abiotic factors is essential to provide optimum condition for biological control to succeed. As most biological control projects work within a narrow window of optimum conditions direct and indirect impacts of climate change are likely to have significant effects on biological control of weeds worldwide, but particularly in countries like Australia. Only a few studies have investigated the potential impact of climate change on biological control of weeds and further studies of current and future biological control programmes are urgently required to support any generalisation.

A paper with the working title ‘Future direction for biological control of weeds and climate change’ and grant proposals will be produced from the meeting.

Last Updated February 2009