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This blog will showcase the GlobalChangeBiology project.

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Invasive potential of tropical fruit flies in temperate regions under climate change

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Tropical fruit flies are considered among the most economically important invasive species detected in temperate areas of the United States and the European Union. Detections often trigger quarantine and eradication programs that are conducted without a holistic understanding of the threat posed. Weather-driven physiologically-based demographic models are used to estimate the geographic range, relative abundance, and threat posed by four tropical tephritid fruit flies (Mediterranean fruit fly, melon fly, oriental fruit fly, and Mexican fruit fly) in North and Central America, and the European-Mediterranean region under extant and climate change weather (RCP8.5 and A1B scenarios). Most temperate areas under tropical fruit fly propagule pressure have not been suitable for establishment, but suitability is predicted to increase in some areas with climate change. To meet this ongoing challenge, investments are needed to collect sound biological data to develop mechanistic models to predict...
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International agroecology short course

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There is no doubt that humanity needs an alternative agricultural development paradigm, one that encourages more ecologically sound, biodiverse, resilient, sustainable, and socially just forms of agriculture. The basis for such new systems are the myriad of ecologically based agricultural styles developed on hundreds of millions small farms that produce a large share of the food consumed today in the world, mostly without agrochemicals. Agroecology represents this paradigm: a dialogue of wisdoms between traditional agricultural knowledges and modern agricultural sciences that uses ecological concepts and principles for the design and management of sustainable agroecosystems where external inputs are replaced by natural processes. This international Agroecology short course was held from May 2nd to 5th, 2018 at the Center for “Climate Change and Biodiversity in Lakes and Wetlands” located on Polvese Island , Lake Trasimeno, Umbria (Italy), and was designed for scholars, students, farmer...
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Agroecological management of invasive species

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During a meeting of the Italian National Academy of Entomology held in Florence on 18 February 2012, Luigi Ponti delivered a public lecture titled "Management of invasive species in the frame of an agro-ecological vision: the case study of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick)". The talk was part of a workshop on T. absoluta where Italian research stakeholders reported on this major invasive pest problem for the Mediterranean Basin. Dr. Ponti's talk focused on how physiologically-based weather-driven demographic models ( CASAS models) integrated into a GIS may aid ecologically-based management of invasive species such as T. absoluta by sorting out the complexity of the global change biology involved. Examples of how invasive species can be assessed in the frame of an agro-ecological vision were provided and prospective applications to T. absoluta outlined along with common misunderstanding about invasive species that may be clarified using the modeling approach of the GlobalChang...
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