نوع مقاله : مقاله علمی تحلیلی
نویسندگان
1 نویسنده مسئول، استادیار پژوهش، مؤسسه تحقیقات جنگلها و مراتع کشور، سازمان تحقیقات، آموزش و ترویج کشاورزی، تهران، ایران
2 استاد پژوهش، مؤسسه تحقیقات گیاهپزشکی کشور، سازمان تحقیقات، آموزش و ترویج کشاورزی، تهران، ایران
3 دانشیار پژوهش، مؤسسه تحقیقات جنگلها و مراتع کشور، سازمان تحقیقات، آموزش و ترویج کشاورزی، تهران، ایران
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Background and Objective: Iranian forests are complex, dynamic, and multi-layered ecosystems that play a fundamental role in conserving biodiversity, regulating climate and water cycles, stabilizing soils, storing carbon, and supporting the livelihoods of local communities. The persistence of these valuable ecosystems depends on effective management of key threats, particularly forest pests. In this context, biological control is a sustainable, environmentally compatible approach grounded in natural ecological processes and considered a suitable alternative to chemical methods. By leveraging natural enemies of pests—such as predators, parasitoids, entomopathogens, and other biological regulators—biological control aims to keep pest populations below the threshold of economic or ecological damage. Despite multiple benefits, the development and effective implementation of this strategy in Iranian forests face substantial structural, environmental, technical, and managerial challenges. This study aims to analyze the main challenges associated with developing and applying biological control for forest pest management in Iran and to propose solutions to improve the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of this approach within ecosystem-based forest management.
Methodology: This research uses a review-analytical approach, drawing on available scientific literature and field-based experiences, to identify the key barriers to biological control development in forest pest management in Iran and to outline strategies for strengthening its implementation.
Results: At the most fundamental level, the intrinsic complexity of forest ecosystems and the risk of disrupting ecological balance through the introduction of new agents represent a serious concern. This issue is exacerbated by limited baseline information, including incomplete databases of native natural enemies and insufficient studies on the biology and population dynamics of these organisms. In parallel, several human activities—such as deforestation, habitat degradation, excessive grazing, unsustainable harvesting practices, and understory cultivation often accompanied by pesticide use—reduce populations of natural enemies and weaken the self-regulating capacity of the ecosystem. Moreover, large-scale drivers such as climate change, repeated droughts, reduced ground-layer flowering plant cover, and dust storms threaten the stability of natural enemy populations. A key underlying point is that the most effective and
durable line of defense against forest pests is natural biological control within the forest ecosystem; therefore, any management strategy should first prioritize the identification and protection of this self-regulating mechanism. Accordingly, overcoming the forthcoming technical and operational constraints can lead to long-term sustainability only when actions are designed and implemented in support of this fundamental principle. Beyond ecological challenges, operational and structural barriers also play a decisive role. The absence of comprehensive national guidelines for the release, monitoring, and evaluation of biological agents, institutional fragmentation and coordination gaps, limited access to specialized infrastructure, and logistic difficulties in extensive and rugged forest landscapes complicate biological control programs. In addition, the relatively slow and gradual nature of biological control outcomes, compared with chemical interventions, may reduce confidence among managers and stakeholders. Concerns regarding potential unintended effects on non-target species constitute another important challenge. Furthermore, limitations in the mass production and quality control of biological agents, inadequate genetic resources, and lack of sustained financial and policy support undermine long-term implementation of this approach.
Conclusion: Addressing these challenges requires a fundamental shift in management perspectives and the adoption of an integrated, multi-horizon strategy that operates in both the short and long term. Such a strategy includes maintaining and enhancing natural enemy populations through habitat management; shifting from episodic interventions to ecosystem-based management; expanding basic research to clarify the ecology of native agents; developing standardized national protocols for releases and monitoring; securing sustained institutional and financial support; and strengthening technical collaborations internationally to transfer knowledge and technologies. Despite these obstacles, within Integrated Pest Management (IPM), biological control is not merely an option but an indispensable requirement for maintaining long-term stability, ecosystem health, and ecological balance in Iran’s forests.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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