Ecological Modelling Applied to Entomology

This book provides a synopsis of the major topics currently studied in entomology combining population theory with experimentation. The chapters address different ecological aspects important for agricultural and medical entomology, emphasising pest management and conservation.

Résumé
Insects, when studied from the ecological perspective, provide a great opportunity for scientific studies emphasizing population theory. The simple fact of being successful organisms for their ability to colonize different habitats or even for their high reproductive potential, increases the interest of ecologists in conducting studies focused on population and community level. Mathematical models are powerful tools that can capture the essence of many biological systems and investigate ecological patterns associated to ecological stability dependent on endogenous and exogenous factors. This proposal comes from the idea of adding experiences of researchers interested in working at the interface between mathematical and computation theory and problems centered on entomology, showing how mathematical modelling can be an important tool for understanding population dynamics, behavior, pest management, spatial structure and conservation.

Contenu
1: Insects and the Ecological Basis for Mathematical Modelling.- 2: Demographic processes in spatially structured host-parasitoid systems.- 3: Abiotic effects on population dynamics of mosquitoes and their influence on dengue transmission.- 4: Modelling the implications of temperature on the life cycle of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.- 5: Predictive modelling of insect metacommunities in biomonitoring of aquatic networks.- 6: Modeling trophic interactions in insect population dynamics.- 7: Coupled Map Lattice Model for insects and spreadable substances.- 8: Computational Methods for Accurate Evaluation of Pest Insect Population Size.- 9: Models for over dispersed data in entomology.