Revisiting implementation of multiple natural enemies in pest management
Abstract A major goal of biological control is the reduction and/or eradication of pests using various natural enemies, in particular, via deliberate infection of the target species by parasites. To enhance the biological control, a promising strategy seems to implement a multi-enemy assemblage rath...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-09-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18120-z |
| _version_ | 1798032309461450752 |
|---|---|
| author | Weam Alharbi Simran K. Sandhu Mounirah Areshi Abeer Alotaibi Mohammed Alfaidi Ghada Al-Qadhi Andrew Yu Morozov |
| author_facet | Weam Alharbi Simran K. Sandhu Mounirah Areshi Abeer Alotaibi Mohammed Alfaidi Ghada Al-Qadhi Andrew Yu Morozov |
| author_sort | Weam Alharbi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract A major goal of biological control is the reduction and/or eradication of pests using various natural enemies, in particular, via deliberate infection of the target species by parasites. To enhance the biological control, a promising strategy seems to implement a multi-enemy assemblage rather than a single control agent. Although a large body of theoretical studies exists on co-infections in epidemiology and ecology, there is still a big gap in modelling outcomes of multi-enemy biological control. Here we theoretically investigate how the efficiency of biological control of a pest depends on the number of natural enemies used. We implement a combination of eco-epidemiological modelling and the Adaptive Dynamics game theory framework. We found that a progressive addition of parasite species increases the evolutionarily stable virulence of each parasite, and thus enhances the mortality of the target pest. However, using multiple enemies may have only a marginal effect on the success of biological control, or can even be counter-productive when the number of enemies is excessive. We found the possibility of evolutionary suicide, where one or several parasite species go extinct over the course of evolution. Finally, we demonstrate an interesting scenario of coexistence of multiple parasites at the edge of extinction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:10:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a9f5a53f46e14f3b8688881e87dbe958 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:10:42Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-a9f5a53f46e14f3b8688881e87dbe9582022-12-22T04:05:06ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-09-0112111610.1038/s41598-022-18120-zRevisiting implementation of multiple natural enemies in pest managementWeam Alharbi0Simran K. Sandhu1Mounirah Areshi2Abeer Alotaibi3Mohammed Alfaidi4Ghada Al-Qadhi5Andrew Yu Morozov6Department of Mathematics, Faculty of science, University of TabukSchool of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, University of LeicesterDepartment of Mathematics, Faculty of science, University of TabukDepartment of Mathematics, Faculty of science, University of TabukDepartment of Biology, University College of Duba, University of TabukDepartment of Mathematics, Faculty of science, University of TabukSchool of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, University of LeicesterAbstract A major goal of biological control is the reduction and/or eradication of pests using various natural enemies, in particular, via deliberate infection of the target species by parasites. To enhance the biological control, a promising strategy seems to implement a multi-enemy assemblage rather than a single control agent. Although a large body of theoretical studies exists on co-infections in epidemiology and ecology, there is still a big gap in modelling outcomes of multi-enemy biological control. Here we theoretically investigate how the efficiency of biological control of a pest depends on the number of natural enemies used. We implement a combination of eco-epidemiological modelling and the Adaptive Dynamics game theory framework. We found that a progressive addition of parasite species increases the evolutionarily stable virulence of each parasite, and thus enhances the mortality of the target pest. However, using multiple enemies may have only a marginal effect on the success of biological control, or can even be counter-productive when the number of enemies is excessive. We found the possibility of evolutionary suicide, where one or several parasite species go extinct over the course of evolution. Finally, we demonstrate an interesting scenario of coexistence of multiple parasites at the edge of extinction.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18120-z |
| spellingShingle | Weam Alharbi Simran K. Sandhu Mounirah Areshi Abeer Alotaibi Mohammed Alfaidi Ghada Al-Qadhi Andrew Yu Morozov Revisiting implementation of multiple natural enemies in pest management Scientific Reports |
| title | Revisiting implementation of multiple natural enemies in pest management |
| title_full | Revisiting implementation of multiple natural enemies in pest management |
| title_fullStr | Revisiting implementation of multiple natural enemies in pest management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Revisiting implementation of multiple natural enemies in pest management |
| title_short | Revisiting implementation of multiple natural enemies in pest management |
| title_sort | revisiting implementation of multiple natural enemies in pest management |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18120-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT weamalharbi revisitingimplementationofmultiplenaturalenemiesinpestmanagement AT simranksandhu revisitingimplementationofmultiplenaturalenemiesinpestmanagement AT mounirahareshi revisitingimplementationofmultiplenaturalenemiesinpestmanagement AT abeeralotaibi revisitingimplementationofmultiplenaturalenemiesinpestmanagement AT mohammedalfaidi revisitingimplementationofmultiplenaturalenemiesinpestmanagement AT ghadaalqadhi revisitingimplementationofmultiplenaturalenemiesinpestmanagement AT andrewyumorozov revisitingimplementationofmultiplenaturalenemiesinpestmanagement |