Fabrizia Ratto from RHUL

Please see below the next Department Seminar which will be featuring 

Fabrizia Ratto from RHUL on Wednesday 19th October 1-2pm at the Bourne LT 2

Fabrizia Ratto Insect-mediated ecosystem services in African agroecosystems

By 2050 the population of sub-Saharan Africa is predicted to increase by 86% with a consequent increase in food demand. Africa is also facing unprecedented challenges with rising temperatures and extreme weather events, native and invasive crop pest invasions, and the severe decline in wild insect populations across wild and agricultural landscapes.

In this scenario, sustainable agricultural practices through the enhancement of insect-mediated ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes is key to ensure food security and human well-being. However, while ecosystem services and their management is well understood in north temperate agroecosystem, they are only partially investigated in the global south. Here, I will discuss the results of two large projects where we investigated management solutions to enhance pollination and pest control services in African agroecosystems. Specifically, we assessed the effectiveness of floral enhancement and biocontrol practices and the biophysical and socio-economic conditions on their adoption by local farmers.

Host: Francisco Ubeda

For more information about upcoming Departmental Seminars please visit: https://royalholloway.ac.uk/research-and-teaching/departments-and-schools/biological-sciences/events/