Professor North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina
Integrated pest management in ornamental landscapes is often divided into parts with different entities managing each. Turf professionals manage turf, arborists manage trees, landscape professionals are hired to manage a variety parts, and homeowners conduct pest management as well. These landscape need to be treated as ecosystems for purposes of IPM and conserving biodiversity. We studied the role of individual trees and tree diversity in conserving beneficial insects and managing pests throughout landscapes. Trees are integral in providing habitat structure, climate moderation, and alternative prey that improve natural enemy communities and IPM.
