Modelling Insect Populations in Agricultural Landscapes

This book combines chapters emphasising mathematical, statistical, and computational modelling applied to insect populations, particularly pests or natural enemies in agricultural landscapes. There is a gap between agricultural pest experimentation and ecological theory, which requires a connection to supply models with laboratory, and field estimates and projects receiving inputs and insights from models. In addition, decision-making in entomology with respect to pest management and biological conservation of natural enemies has been supported by results obtained from different computational and mathematical approaches. This book brings contemporary issues related to optimization in spatially structured landscapes, insect movement, stability analysis, game theory, machine learning, computer vision, Bayesian modelling, as well as other frameworks.

Dr Rafael de Andrade Moral is an Associate Professor of Statistics at Maynooth University. With a background in Biology and a PhD in Statistics from the University of São Paulo, he has a deep passion for teaching and conducting research in statistical modelling applied to Ecology, Wildlife Management, Agriculture, and Environmental Science. As director of the Theoretical and Statistical Ecology Group, Rafael brings together a community of researchers who use mathematical and statistical tools to better understand the natural world. As an alternative teaching strategy, he produces music videos to promote Statistics in social media and in the classroom.

Dr Wesley Augusto Conde Godoy is an Associate Professor of Entomology at the University of São Paulo. With a passion for insect ecology and population dynamics, he leads the Laboratory of Ecology and Forest Entomology. His research encompasses a wide range of applications in ecology, including trophic interactions, and the development and application of mathematical, computational and statistical modelling. Wesley's interests include the practical implementation of ecological modelling to advance the fields of entomology and pest science.