BAMO (Beneficial Arthropods and Microorganisms)

BAMO (Beneficial Arthropods
and Microorganisms)
 Agro-ecosystem is largely created and maintained to satisfy human wants or
needs. It is not a natural ecosystem but is man- made. Agro-ecosystem is the
basic unit of pest management - a branch of applied ecology. A typical agro-
ecosystem is composed of: (a) more or less uniform crop-plant population (b)
weed communities (c) animal communities (including insects) (d) microbiotic
communities (e) and the physical environment the react with:
 Unique features of Agro-ecosystem: (a) Dominated by plants selected by
man (b) No species diversity and no intraspecific diversity. Genetically
uniform (c) Phenological events like germination, flowering occur
simultaneously (d) by man like ploughing, weeding, pesticide application etc.
(e) Plants contain imported genetic material (f) Plants contain imported
genetic material (g) Nutrients are added (h) Outbreak of pests, weeds and
diseases occur frequently
 Balance of Nature: defined as the natural tendency of plant and
animal population resulting from natural regulative processes in an
undisturbed ecosystem (environment) to neither decline in numbers
to extinction nor increase to indefinite density. In unmanaged
ecosystems, a state of balance exists or will be reached, that is
species interact with each other and with their physical environment
in such a way that on average, individuals are able only to replace
themselves.
 Factors that determine insect abundance:
Biotic Potential: It is the innate ability of the population to reproduce and
survive. It depends on the inherited properties of the insect i.e., reproduction
and survival.
Potential natality is the reproductive rate of the individuals in an
optimal environment. Survival rate depends on the feeding habits and
protection to young ones (eg. Viviparity). Generally insects with high
reproductive rate tend to have low survival rate and vice versa.
Generally insects with high reproductive rate tend to have low survival rate and
vice versa. Insect pests with high reproductive rate and low survival rate are
called r strategists named after the statistical parameter r, the symbol for
growth rate coefficient. Such pests succeed because of sheer numbers. E.g.
Aphids.
 K strategists reproduce slowly but effectively compete for environmental
resources and so their survival rate is high. (K letter denotes flattened portion of
growth curve) eg. Codling moth of apple.
 Birth rate or natality is measured as the total number of eggs laid per female per
unit time. Factors determining birth rate are fecundity, fertility and sex ratio.
Death rate or mortality denotes the number of insects dying over a period.
 Bioresources in ecosystem: Ecosystem comprises of biological communities
and non-living environment. e.g. Agro ecosystem, pond ecosystem, etc.).
Bioresources refers to the biodiversity of various organisms living in that
ecosystem. e.g. The different pests of cotton, its natural enemies, hyper-
parasitoids, microbes, etc. are referred to the bio-resources in cotton ecosystem.
 The ecosystem should have more bio-resources. Such ecosystem will be more
stable. Insecticides will deplete the bio-resources in ecosystem and make it less
stable and prone to pest outbreak.
Natural control will be high when bio-resources.
a. Parasitoids – are small insects whose immature stages develop either within or
attached to the outside of other insects, referred to as hosts.
- Insects that parasitize other insects
b. Predators – capture and eat other organisms such as insects/mites.
Lesson 2. REVIEW OF
ECOLOGICAL CONCEPTS
AND PRINCIPLES BASIS
OF BIOLOGICAL
CONTROL
ECOLOGY: derived from Greek term “oikos”
meaning house” combined with “logy” meaning “the
science of “ or “ the study of”.
- Accdg. to Webster dictionary defines ecology as
“totality of pattern of relation between organisms
and their environment”.
- Eugene P. Odum defined ecology as the “the study of
organism at home”.
- Ecology may be defined as the understanding of
physiology and behavior of insects as affected by
their environment.
Habitat – is the place where the organisms lives.
Population – denotes groups of individuals of any kind or
organism. Insect populations are groups of individuals set in a
frame that is limited in time and space.
Community – interacting web of populations of a given
individuals in a population feed upon and in turn are fed upon
by individuals of other populations.
Ecosystem – ultimate unit for study in ecology as they are
composed of living organisms and the non-living environment.
Biosphere – term used for all of the earth’s ecosystems
functioning together on the global scale.
SCOPE OF ECOLOGY
1.POPULATION DYNAMICS
Insect reproduce at a higher rate because of their
reproductive characteristic and their short life span,
wherein they lay eggs in mass (100-400 eggs/mass or
more). Some insect population tends to follow the
exponential growth rate if environmental
conditions/factors favor their growth and if there are no
stresses during their life cycle.
Populations have their
limits. Usually, it’s the
environment or the habitat that
dictates how much of a
population it can carry.
Different habitat may have
different carrying capacity.
Carrying capacity is the
largest number of individuals
a habitat can only carry.
There are different factors affecting the
population size. These can be grouped
into two. First is the Density-Dependent
factors and the Density-Independent
factors. The density-dependent factors
are considered to be affected by the
population size. These are, (1) limiting
resources (food and shelter), (2)
production of toxic wastes, (3) infectious
diseases, (4) predation, (5) stress, (6)
emigration.
In density-independent factors, these are
not affected by the size (whether the
population is big or small) of the
population. These are the following: (1)
severe storms and flooding, (2) sudden
unpredictable severe cold spells, (3)
earthquakes and volcanoes, (4)
catastrophic meteorite impacts. These
natural disasters lead to a decrease in
population regardless of the population
size.
COMPETITION BETWEEN
SPECIES
2. SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
SYMBIOSIS – ANY TYPE OF CLOSE

AND LONG TERM BIOLOGICAL
INTERACTION BETWEEN TWO
DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL
ORGANISMS.
- LIVING TOGETHER
KINDS OF INTERACTION
1. MUTUALISM– Both
species benefit from an
association.
Example: Aphids and ants.
The aphids secrete a sugary
solution called honey dew.
Ants drink the honey dew, in
return, they protect the aphids
from predators.
ANTAGONISM – one species has a negative effect on the
other species (predation/parasitism), or both species exert a
negative effect (competition).
Example: Antagonists are taxonomically diverse, as are the
pathogens they are used against. Fungi and bacteria are
principally used for biological control against fungal and
bacterial plant pathogens. Fungi can be used to control either
fungi or bacteria.
COMMENSALISM- One specie
is benefits from an association
without any benefit to, or harm,
from, the other species.
Example: smaller organisms
‘hitching’ a lift on a larger
organisms (known as Phoresy).
The smaller organism derives
benefit from the other organism
and the larger organisms is
unaffected.
Parasitism – a symbiotic relationship in
which one species (the parasite) benefits
while the other species (the host) is a
harmed.
- Interaction , in which one organism , the
parasite, derives nourishment from the
other organism, the host.
- Example: Fleas and mosquitoes feed on
blood from other organisms.
3. TROPHIC (FEEDING
RELATIONSHIPS
Food web and food chains in an
ecosystem are naturally occurring.
There is the trophic level that
shows lower levels are consumed
by higher levels until the top of the
food chain. It shows that naturally,
herbivore insect populations can be
controlled by other organisms
(natural enemies) which is the basis
of biological control.
Name:________________ Date:_________________________
Program/Year/Block:________________ Schedule:_____________________
Instructor:___________________ Course Code/Course Title:________________
ACTIVITY 1
FOOD CHAIN VS FOOD WEB
Objectives:
1. Discuss the connection of food chain/food web in balancing mechanism of agro-ecosystem
2. Explain the connection of each species to each other in food chain or food web
3. Illustrate an example of a food chain/food web
Direction: Illustrate an example of a food web. And answer the following questions below.
Questions:
1. Define the following : a.) FOOD CHAIN b.) FOOD WEB
2. Discuss the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors in relation to their roles in natural habitats.
3.Discuss the connection of each organisms in a food web/chain and how will be influenced the balancing
mechanism of agroecosystem.

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SYMBIOSIS – ANY TYPE OF CLOSE

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