title: A modelling methodology to assess the effect of insect pest control on agro-ecosystems.
abstract: The extensive use of chemical pesticides for pest management in agricultural systems can entail risks to the complex ecosystems consisting of economic, ecological and social subsystems. To analyze the negative and positive effects of external or internal disturbances on complex ecosystems, we proposed an ecological two-sidedness approach which has been applied to the design of pest-controlling strategies for pesticide pollution management. However, catastrophe theory has not been initially applied to this approach. Thus, we used an approach of integrating ecological two-sidedness with a multi-criterion evaluation method of catastrophe theory to analyze the complexity of agro-ecosystems disturbed by the insecticides and screen out the best insect pest-controlling strategy in cabbage production. The results showed that the order of the values of evaluation index (RCC/CP) for three strategies in cabbage production was "applying frequency vibration lamps and environment-friendly insecticides 8 times" (0.80) < "applying trap devices and environment-friendly insecticides 9 times" (0.83) < "applying common insecticides 14 times" (1.08). The treatment "applying frequency vibration lamps and environment-friendly insecticides 8 times" was considered as the best insect pest-controlling strategy in cabbage production in Shanghai, China.
authors.affiliation: Eco-environment Protection Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Protected Horticultural Technology, Shanghai 201403, China.|Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
authors.forename: Nian-Feng
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Eco-environment Protection Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Protected Horticultural Technology, Shanghai 201403, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Yun
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Eco-environment Protection Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Protected Horticultural Technology, Shanghai 201403, China.
authors.forename: Jie-Xian
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D001937:Brassica / Q000191:economics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology; D017753:Ecosystem; D055772:Green Chemistry Technology; D007313:Insecta / Q000187:drug effects*; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010571:Pest Control / Q000191:economics; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides