University of Maryland LibrariesDigital Repository at the University of Maryland
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   DRUM
    • Theses and Dissertations from UMD
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   DRUM
    • Theses and Dissertations from UMD
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Overcoming Barriers to Predation: Effect of Alternative Management Practices on Predator-Herbivore Dynamics in Production Nurseries

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    umi-umd-2727.pdf (1.845Mb)
    No. of downloads: 1209

    Date
    2005-08-10
    Author
    Waterworth, Rebeccah Anne
    Advisor
    Shrewsbury, Paula M.
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Alternative pest management tactics were compared to conventional tactics for their affect on pest and beneficial arthropods in production nurseries. Alternatives included habitat manipulations and augmentative releases of predators. Groundcover (weed cloth and hard wood mulch) and container position (pots placed above the ground and pots sunken into the ground [pot-in-pot]) were manipulated in nursery beds. Generally, wood mulch enhanced the abundance of alternative prey and natural enemies at the ground level but not at the soil level within the containers or on plant foliage. The pot-in-pot method strongly increased abundance of both groups at the ground level and the soil level within the containers, whereas pots above ground had a greater abundance of predators on the foliage. Habitat manipulations differentially affected mortality of soil versus foliar herbivores. However, herbivores on the soil in containers suffered greater mortality than those on the foliage, regardless of groundcover or pot position. Day and night differences in herbivore mortality and predator taxa were also examined. Predatory mites were released on Ilex at two predator: prey ratios to examine their ability to suppress Oligonychus illicis. Generally, release of predators did not reduce abundance of O. illicis compared to the control. Miticide treated plants had consistently lower O. illicis populations. Leaf damage was less on miticide treated plants. Possible explanations for the ineffectiveness of augmentative release are discussed.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/1903/2936
    Collections
    • Entomology Theses and Dissertations
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations

    DRUM is brought to you by the University of Maryland Libraries
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7011 (301)314-1328.
    Please send us your comments.
    Web Accessibility
     

     

    Browse

    All of DRUMCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister
    Pages
    About DRUMAbout Download Statistics

    DRUM is brought to you by the University of Maryland Libraries
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7011 (301)314-1328.
    Please send us your comments.
    Web Accessibility