The North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) will hold its fourth-annual virtual Weed Biocontrol Summit on December 7, 2023, on Zoom from 11 a.m.-3 p.m CT. The summit is hosted by NAISMA’s Classical Biocontrol Committee. This year, NAISMA is highlighting the role weed biological control can play in reducing wildfire risk and mitigating wildfire impacts throughout North America. The Biocontrol Summit integrates research and implementation of biocontrol from the regional land managers’ perspective.

NAISMA’s Annual Weed Biocontrol Summits provide an opportunity for natural resource managers, educators, and researchers across North America to learn about the latest research and management involving classical biological control of weeds. Weed Biocontrol Summits are sponsored by the United States Forest Service.

Classical biological control of weeds, often referred to as biocontrol, reunites a pest species with its co-evolved natural enemies (e.g. insects, pathogens, nematodes, mites) to restore the balance found in the native range. This process reduces pest populations below economically or ecologically damaging thresholds. “NAISMA supports biological control as an integral part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM),” says Christie Trifone Millhouse, NAISMA executive director. “Biological control practitioners from across the globe provide technical advice, guidance, and training on IPM, specifically targeting biological control of invasive weeds that threaten the biodiversity of North America.”

Learn more and sign up on our website here.