Biological Control: Strengthening The Climate Role Of Global Plantation Forestry

Written By: Prof Ilaria Germishuizen (Institute for Commercial Forestry Research (ICFR), Pietermaritzburg, South Africa), Prof Brett Hurley (Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa), and Prof Bernard Slippers (Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa)

THE INSTITUTE FOR COMMERCIAL FORESTRY RESEARCH (ICFR) and the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) at the University of Pretoria contributed to a recent international research paper that brought together scientists from institutions across the globe.

Wykhuis K, Giron E, Hyman G, Barona E, FA Castro-Llanos, Sheil D, Yu L, Du Z, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Germishuizen I, Bojaca CR, Rubiano M, Sathyapala S, Verchot L, Zhang W. 2025. Invasive pests reduce carbon sequestration of monoculture tree plantations. Entomologia Generalis, March 2025; DOI: 10.1127/entomologia/2025/3015.

The study explored how biological control can decrease the effect of insect pest damage on the carbon sequestration potential of fast-growing plantation forests such as pine and eucalypts. These plantations play an important role in climate mitigation through their ability to rapidly absorb and store atmospheric carbon. However, when pests such as Sirex noctilio, Leptocybe invasa and Ophelimus maskelli damage trees and reduce growth, they also negatively affect this climate-regulating function. The research found that pest-related losses can significantly reduce the carbon sink capacity of affected forests.

Tree-feeding insects can reduce their hosts’ carbon sink capacity by up to 4.8%, significantly compromising forest carbon storage potential. Encouragingly, the study highlights that biological control using carefully selected natural enemies, such as parasitoid wasps or nematodes in the case of the pests examined in this study, can help restore much of the lost carbon sequestration capacity. In some cases, the use of biological control could recover up to 0.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per hectare per year.

“These plantations play an important role in climate mitigation through their ability to rapidly absorb and store atmospheric carbon”

Forestry in South Africa has been particularly proactive in using biological control to manage insect pests, with biological control agents released for most of the invasive insect pests. Perhaps the most successful of these was the biological control programme developed for the Sirex woodwasp, a combined effort between industry, government and research institutions, notably FABI and the ICFR. More recently, FABI is also investigating the use of biological control for native insect pests. This study underlines the broader value of not only biological control, but of forest health management in general: Forest health management not only protects timber yield but also contributes meaningfully to climate goals.

“While plantation forests may not match natural forests in ecological complexity and richness, they are a vital part of the global carbon budget”

FABI and ICFR’s involvement in the study reflects the fruit of their long-standing collaborative partnership in forest protection research in South Africa. Together, these institutions have advanced the understanding of pest outbreaks, their distribution and impact and the development of sustainable management tools. Their joint contributions helped contextualize the South African plantation Forestry Sector within a broader global framework, offering valuable insight into how local interventions can support international climate resilience goals. While plantation forests may not match natural forests in ecological complexity and richness, they are a vital part of the global carbon budget. Keeping them healthy is essential not just for sustaining productivity and livelihoods, but for maintaining their role as efficient, managed carbon sinks. This research underscores the need to view pest management and forest protection as part of the broader climate solution. With the continued support of institutions like ICFR and FABI, forestry can contribute to both environmental resilience and sustainable development in South Africa and beyond. The findings from this international collaboration were published in March 2025 as a peer-reviewed paper in the openaccess journal Entomologia Generalis. For those interested in learning more, the full study, featuring contributions from leading experts around the world, is freely accessible online.

Source: Tip-Mag

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