The Concept of Ecostacking

Ecostacking is a new concept and approach which aims to maximize the benefits of ecosystem service providers in cropping systems to help achieve the goal of long-term sustainable agriculture and food production. The term "ecostacking" means combining synergistically the beneficial services of functional biodiversity from all levels and types. It is a comprehensive approach, where the various ecosystem service providers are fully integrated with the rest of the cropping system including agronomic practices. It is an approach which goes beyond conventional Integrated Pest Management practises, and attempts to take advantage of all the functional biodiversity of a system. The main focus of ecostacking is on maximizing ecosystem services for biological control and pollination from beneficial arthropods, but the approach also utilizes other invertebrates (e.g., earthworms) as well as beneficial vertebrates such as bats, birds and small mammals. Microbes also provide invaluable ecosystem services including pest, disease, and weed control, either directly as components of "suppressive soils" or as plant colonizers (as endophytes or as epiphytic microbial flora). The ecostacking approach also aims to maximize other nature-provided services such as maintenance of soil health and nutrient cycling. The Concept of Ecostacking is the first book in a series which introduces ecostacking concepts to the reader and explores how this approach can be used in a variety of ways and in different cropping systems. The book defines this new concept and shows, using illustrative case studies from around the world, how ecostacking principles can be successfully employed in cropping systems in the open field, in greenhouses and in forestry. This book: · will serve as inspiration for developing further applications of this breakthrough technology for sustainable agricultural production. · is a must-read for everyone with an interest in developing sustainable crop protection systems and ecosystem management. · has been written and edited by the world's leading experts in this new and exciting endeavour.

Professor Jinjun Wang has a Ph.D. in Entomology and is a professor in Southwest University, China. He was appointed as a scientist in citrus insect pest control in the China Agricultural Research System (CARS) by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture in 2007. He is also a leading scientist of the "Innovation Research Team of Fundamental Research on Sustainable Management of Citrus Major Pests" approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education in 2009. Currently, his research focuses on the development of integrated management strategies for insect pest control primarily in citrus. His research interests include both principles-level fundamental questions as well as practical applied questions geared toward providing solutions to major problems facing a diversity of agricultural commodities. To date, he has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as PNAS, Annual Review of Entomology, Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, BMC Biology, Insect Molecular Biology, Pest Management Science, Journal of Insect Physiology, and other internationally well-known journals.

Professor Huai Lui has a Ph.D. in Entomology and is a professor at Southwest University, China. He is the head of College of Plant Protection. He is also a leading scientist of the 'Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering approved by the Chongqing Municipal Science and Technology Commission. His main research focuses on insect/mite population ecology and pest biological control. He is interested in phenotypic plasticity and adaptive mechanisms of predatory natural enemies under different or crossed environmental stress. To date, he has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as in Journal of Food and Agriculture Chemistry, Pest Management Science, Insect Science, Biological Control, Crop Protection, BioControl, Journal of Economic Entomology, and other internationally well-known journals.

Ingeborg Menzler-Hokkanen is at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA. Previously she worked over 20 years as researcher at the Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki. She has an MSc-degree in agricultural economics from Göttingen University, Germany; MSc-degree in agricultural economics from Cornell University, USA; and a PhD from the Helsinki School of Economics. After a solid research and publication record within economics, she has focused on the socioeconomic and ecological aspects of plant biotechnology, and of pest and pollinator management.

Professor Hongbo Jiang has a Ph.D. in Entomology and is a professor in Southwest University, China. He got his Ph. D degree at Southwest University, China in 2010. Later, He joined Dr. Yoonseong Park's lab in Kansas State University as a postdoctoral researcher focusing on the neurophysiology of the insect behavior. He returned to Southwest University as a faculty member in 2014. Since then, He has been interested in the molecular physiology of the behaviors in the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), which is a destructive invasive insect pest for the vegetable and fruit industry worldwide. He is currently involved in the projects for exploring the molecular mechanism of the olfaction mediated behaviors such as plant volatile mediated foraging, mating and oviposition. To date, he has published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as in PNAS, Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, Journal of Insect Physiology and other internationally well-known journals.

Dr Daniel Carrillo conducts fundamental and applied research on biological and environmental processes that affect the population dynamics and spread of plant-associated pest and beneficial arthropods in tropical/subtropical fruit crop systems. He specializes in two main areas: biological control, and the ecology and management of invasive insects and mites. Dr. Carrillo investigates factors that disrupt the beneficial activities of natural enemies and pollinators, and that hinder the development of solutions to mitigate these problems. Additionally, he studies the compatibility between biological and chemical control measures by determining the relative toxicity of pesticides to natural enemies and pollinators, and the compatibility and/or antagonism between biological control agents. Likewise, Dr. Carrillo's research focuses on multi-trophic interactions between host plants, pest arthropods and natural enemies, and how these affect the outcome of a biological control program. Lastly, he has a special interest in the ecology and management of invasive arthropods with a priority focus on vectors of plant pathogens.