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Overview
The potential for weeds to affect the livelihoods of agricultural producers and to reduce endemic biodiversity is widely recognised. But what are the ecological attributes of weeds that confer this ability to interfere with human activities?Until recently, the discipline of weed science has developed almost exclusively as an empirical subject with an emphasis on optimising the performance of herbicides. Roger Cousens and Martin Mortimer place weed management within an ecological context, in which the focus is on the manipulation of population size. The dynamics of abundance and spatial distribution are considered at both geographic and local scales. The basic processes of weed dispersal, reproduction and mortality are described, together with the factors that influence them. Management is shown to modify patterns of behaviour that are intrinsic to populations. This is done with the aid of simple models and an extensive review of the literature. Special attention is given to the evolution and management of resistance to herbicides.
This book therefore provides weed scientists with a conceptual framework. It also gives ecologists access to the extensive database on the population ecology of weeds.