Atherton Queensland

Ecological services provided by rainforest arthropods

This project will focus on the evaluation of the role of rainforest arthropods in providing ecological services/dis-services (including pollination, natural enemies of herbivore pests and the dis-service of damage to crops by herbivores) in agricultural crops adjacent to rainforest. In all these studies a key variable will be distance from rainforest. Very little is currently known of the identity, origin and role of native insect pollinators, predators and parasites in tropical crops. This project aims to estimate the economic value of these services by comparing natural processes with the cost of artificial substitution, pest control costs and production losses. The project will also provide recommendations on land-use options that may enhance the value of such services.

This project aims to:

1. Predict the proportion of pollination in a range of agricultural systems that is caused by insects reliant on rainforest.
2. Quantify the level of herbivory and subsequent production losses caused by various rainforest insects in a number of important agricultural crops adjacent to rainforest.
3. Examine the abundance of potential natural enemies of insect pests (parasitic and predatory insects) in a number of important agricultural crops adjacent to rainforest.
4. Determine the source of predation and parasitism of the major insect pest species of a number of important agricultural crops.
5. Estimate the economic value of pollination, crop damage by pests and biological control of pests as services/dis-services provided by rainforest fauna, so that these relationships and values can be incorporated into economic models.

Project stakeholders

1. Land managers that receive faunal services from rainforest -
   • Farmers and farmer organisations, e.g:
   • National Farmer's Federation (NFF)
   • Queensland Farmer's Federation (QFF)
   • Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG)
   • Foresters and forestry groups, e.g:
   • Queensland Forestry Research Institute
   • Department of Primary Industry (QDPI)
   • Landcare groups
2. Land managers that provide faunal services from rainforest, e.g:
   • Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA)
   • Department of Environment and Heritage (EA)

Project Team

Rob Floyd
Program Leader, Natural Resources and Biodiversity
CSIRO Entomology
PO Box 1700
Canberra, ACT 2601
ph: (02) 6246 4089
Email: rob.floyd@csiro.au

Saul Cunningham
Research Scientist
CSIRO Entomology
PO Box 1700
Canberra, ACT 2601
ph: (02) 6246 4089
Email: saul.cunningham@csiro.au

Ros Blanche
Post Doctoral Fellow
Tropical Forest Research Centre
PO Box 780
Atherton, QLD, 4883
Ph: (07) 4091 8800
Email: ros.blanche@csiro.au

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