Integrated Biodiversity Management

Johari Jalinas Centre for Insects Systematic, School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia e-mail: johari_j@ukm.my

Integrated biodiversity management is a system that emphasis on ecosystem management in which agro-ecosystem is engineered to favor the natural enemies and infavor to the pest. Biological diversity can be defined as the variety and multiformity of life, especially of species, in a general sense. Concerns about the loss of biological diversity have resulted in a general increase in demand for the preservation of biodiversity, also in relation to forestry. The conservation of the biodiversity of the agro ecosystem is the key for implementation of the integrated biodiversity management. The biodiversity elements are soil, water, humidity, beneficial insects and natural enemies. The implementation of the alternatives method especially the biological control must come together with the establishment of the Integrated Biodiversity Management. These elements can be used by the natural enemies as habitat refuges and also for getting alternative foods when their preys or host is not available during the critical conditions. There are many techniques and strategies had been established so that the natural enemies can be conserved and at the same time it gives the farmers the effective method to control the pest by using the biopesticides Modifying crop tillage systems offers additional opportunities to influence levels of on-farm biodiversity. GPS technologies were used to identify areas requiring attention and continually vary input application accordingly. Creating on-farm temporary habitat niches to enhance levels of beneficial insects and also for the natural enemies.

Integrating nitrogen-fixing legumes into crop rotation regimes: Legumes such as beans and clover maximized natural soil nitrogen levels, reducing the need for additional mineral fertilizer input. Beside that, biodiversity indices are also used as local priorities of
management strategies with respect to biological diversity in the agro-ecosystem.

Agricultural technologies, for example, irrigation, mechanization, enhanced seeds, crop protection and nutrition products contribute to productivity increases on land already cultivated. Sustaining of biodiversity will increases in food production per human capita and also reversing current trends in natural resource degradation. Integrated biodiversity management is very important when we want to use natural enemies as biological agents to control the insect pest. The company that associated with the agriculture also must play a role in implementation of the Integrated Biodiversity Management. The roles of the plant science company in Integrated Biodiversity Management are very important so that the production of the crop will give more benefit to them and also to the farmers.

Three key roles a plant science company can play in improving crop productivity (Annik Dollacker, and Claire Rhodes, 2007) 1. Developing plant science technologies that contribute to improving agricultural productivity on land already cultivated. 2. Integrate biodiversity conservation objectives in the development of state of the art agricultural technologies. 3. Appropriately adapting agricultural technologies to local conditions and encouraging Integrated Crop Management (ICM) practices at a farm level, as one element of broader approaches to biodiversity conservation within agricultural landscape

As a conclusion, Integrated Biodiversity Management is very important for the environment, the economic well-being and social development in agriculture industry.

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