In many natural and managed forest and tree systems, pest attacks and related dieback events have become a matter of increasing global concern. Although these attacks modify the carbon balance of tree systems, their contribution to climate forcing and the relative impact of nature-based mitigation measures is seldom considered. Here, we assess the extent to which biological control protects or reconstitutes carbon sequestration capacity and storage in monoculture tree plantations globally. Specifically, we draw upon field-level assessments, niche modeling and forest carbon flux maps to quantify potential risk of carbon sequestration loss due to three globally important insect herbivores of pine and eucalyptus. Specifically, herbivory by the tree-feeding insects Sirex noctilio, Leptocybe invasa and Ophelimus maskelli conservatively reduces carbon sink capacity by up to 0.96–4.86% at the country level. For a subset of 30, 11 and nine tree-growing countries, this potentially compromises a respective 4.02%, 0.80% and 0.79% of the carbon sink capacity of their tree hosts. Yet, in the invasive range, released biological control agents can help regain lost sink capacity to considerable extent. Equally, across both the S. noctilio native and invasive range, carbon sequestration capacity is protected by resident biota to the tune of (max.) 0.28–0.39 tons of CO2 equivalent per hectare per year. Our exploratory valuation of pest-induced sequestration losses and their biodiversity-driven mitigation informs climate policy, biosecurity, and management practice.
This work is licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0
This work is licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0
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TI - Biological control protects carbon sequestration capacity of plantation forests
AU - Wyckhuys, K.A.G.
AU - Giron, E.
AU - Hyman, G.
AU - Barona, E.
AU - Castro-Llanos, F.A.
AU - Sheil, D.
AU - Yu, L.
AU - Du, Z.
AU - Hurley, B.P.
AU - Slippers, B.
AU - Germishuizen, I.
AU - Bojacá, C.R.
AU - Rubiano, M.
AU - Sathyapala, S.
AU - Verchot, L.V.
AU - Zhang, W.
AB - In many natural and managed forest and tree systems, pest attacks and related dieback events have become a matter of increasing global concern. Although these attacks modify the carbon balance of tree systems, their contribution to climate forcing and the relative impact of nature-based mitigation measures is seldom considered. Here, we assess the extent to which biological control protects or reconstitutes carbon sequestration capacity and storage in monoculture tree plantations globally. Specifically, we draw upon field-level assessments, niche modeling and forest carbon flux maps to quantify potential risk of carbon sequestration loss due to three globally important insect herbivores of pine and eucalyptus. Specifically, herbivory by the tree-feeding insects Sirex noctilio, Leptocybe invasa and Ophelimus maskelli conservatively reduces carbon sink capacity by up to 0.96–4.86% at the country level. For a subset of 30, 11 and nine tree-growing countries, this potentially compromises a respective 4.02%, 0.80% and 0.79% of the carbon sink capacity of their tree hosts. Yet, in the invasive range, released biological control agents can help regain lost sink capacity to considerable extent. Equally, across both the S. noctilio native and invasive range, carbon sequestration capacity is protected by resident biota to the tune of (max.) 0.28–0.39 tons of CO2 equivalent per hectare per year. Our exploratory valuation of pest-induced sequestration losses and their biodiversity-driven mitigation informs climate policy, biosecurity, and management practice.
PY - 2025
UR - https://www.cifor-icraf.org/knowledge/publication/46035/
DO - https://doi.org/10.1127/entomologia/2025/3015
KW - biological control, carbon sequestration, climate change, forest ecology, invasive species, pest management, plantation forests, restoration
ER -Endnote (.ciw)
%T Biological control protects carbon sequestration capacity of plantation forests
%A Wyckhuys, K.A.G.
%A Giron, E.
%A Hyman, G.
%A Barona, E.
%A Castro-Llanos, F.A.
%A Sheil, D.
%A Yu, L.
%A Du, Z.
%A Hurley, B.P.
%A Slippers, B.
%A Germishuizen, I.
%A Bojacá, C.R.
%A Rubiano, M.
%A Sathyapala, S.
%A Verchot, L.V.
%A Zhang, W.
%D 2025
%U https://www.cifor-icraf.org/knowledge/publication/46035/
%R https://doi.org/10.1127/entomologia/2025/3015
%X In many natural and managed forest and tree systems, pest attacks and related dieback events have become a matter of increasing global concern. Although these attacks modify the carbon balance of tree systems, their contribution to climate forcing and the relative impact of nature-based mitigation measures is seldom considered. Here, we assess the extent to which biological control protects or reconstitutes carbon sequestration capacity and storage in monoculture tree plantations globally. Specifically, we draw upon field-level assessments, niche modeling and forest carbon flux maps to quantify potential risk of carbon sequestration loss due to three globally important insect herbivores of pine and eucalyptus. Specifically, herbivory by the tree-feeding insects Sirex noctilio, Leptocybe invasa and Ophelimus maskelli conservatively reduces carbon sink capacity by up to 0.96–4.86% at the country level. For a subset of 30, 11 and nine tree-growing countries, this potentially compromises a respective 4.02%, 0.80% and 0.79% of the carbon sink capacity of their tree hosts. Yet, in the invasive range, released biological control agents can help regain lost sink capacity to considerable extent. Equally, across both the S. noctilio native and invasive range, carbon sequestration capacity is protected by resident biota to the tune of (max.) 0.28–0.39 tons of CO2 equivalent per hectare per year. Our exploratory valuation of pest-induced sequestration losses and their biodiversity-driven mitigation informs climate policy, biosecurity, and management practice.
%K biological control
%K carbon sequestration
%K climate change
%K forest ecology
%K invasive species
%K pest management
%K plantation forests
%K restoration
Année de publication
2025
ISSN
0171-8177
Auteurs
Wyckhuys, K.A.G.; Giron, E.; Hyman, G.; Barona, E.; Castro-Llanos, F.A.; Sheil, D.; Yu, L.; Du, Z.; Hurley, B.P.; Slippers, B.; Germishuizen, I.; Bojacá, C.R.; Rubiano, M.; Sathyapala, S.; Verchot, L.V.; Zhang, W.
Langue
English
Mots clés
biological control, carbon sequestration, climate change, forest ecology, invasive species, pest management, plantation forests, restoration
Source
Entomologia Generalis. 45(2): 305-318
