Biological control of forest plantation pests in an interconnected world requires greater international focus

The worldwide homogenization of genetic resources used in plantation forestry (primarily Pinus, Eucalypus, Populus and Acacia spp.) together with accelerating rates of human-aided dispersal of exotic pests, is resulting in plantation pests becoming broadly distributed extremely quickly, sometimes reaching a global distribution within a decade. This unprecedented rate of establishment and spread means that the risk associated with new and emerging pests is shared globally. Biological control represents a major component of the strategy to mitigate such risk, but the current efforts and scope for developing such controls are woefully inadequate for dealing with the increasing rates of pest spread. Given the global nature of the problem, biological control would benefit enormously from an international, collaborative focus. Though inherent difficulties and potential pitfalls exist, opportunities for cost-sharing, growth and maintenance of resources and capacity, and more comprehensive research programmes are critical to the long-term success of biological control. Governments and industries will need to increase their strategic investment in structures specifically designed to promote such focus if they are to successfully protect their forest resources.