Andrew PIZZAMIGLIO-GUTIERREZ

Professor
Ph.D.  
  

203A Mulford Hall
Berkeley, California 94720
carpediem@nature.berkeley.edu
office: 510-642-9186   lab: 510-642-9186   fax:  510-643-5438

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My research group investigates plant - herbivore-natural enemy interactions as driven by edaphic and weather factors using physiologically based tritrophic models. The models are based on extensive field and laboratory data. The models are used to assess the theory and practice of biological control, to solve practical problems in pest management and crop production and protection (IPM), and to explore economic and theoretical issues. The models are currently being used to assess the effects of global warming on tritrophic systems.

The models have a common mathematical form across all trophic levels including the economic one. The dynamics of species are regulated by the interplay between the rates of per capita resource acquisition (i.e., the supply) and per capita demand (bottom-up effects), and the action of natural enemies (top-down or regulatory effects). The predictions of the model are compared to field data. Our models bridge the gap between purely theoretical models and biologically rich simulation models. The models have yielded considerable economic benefit.

Our models have been used to analyze diverse agroecosystems worldwide. Among the tritrophic systems models developed are those for alfalfa, apple, cassava, coffee, common bean, cotton, grape, olive, rice/fish pond system and agro-forestry. Our research is inter-disciplinary and our research projects are conducted worldwide.

Our current research focuses on four interrelated areas: further refinement of existing tritrophic models and the completion of new models for invasive species (e.g., yellow starthistle) and transgenic crops; the development of a general geographical information systems (GIS) based decision support system for implementing the systems models globally and for the analysis of climate warming on ecosystem dynamics; analysis of transgenic crops in agriculture; and theoretical studies on food web dynamics using physiologically based models. Considerable progress has been made in analyzing the underlying theory of our models and in extending them to the analysis of the ecology and bioeconomics of food webs..

Selected Publications (of 200+)

Gutierrez, Andrew Paul, Luigi Ponti, C. Ken Ellis and Thibaud d'Oultremont (2008) Climatic Change Effects on tritrophic systems. Climatic Change 87: 167-192

Pemsl, D., Gutierrez, A.P., Waibel, H. (2007). The Economics of Biotechnology under Ecosystems Disruption. Ecological Economics 66:177-183.

Gutierrez, A.P. and J. Baumgartner (2007). Modeling the dynamics of tritrophic population interactions. In M. Kogan and P. Jepson eds., Perspectives in Ecology and Integrated Pest management, Cambridge University Press.

Gutierrez, A.P., Pitcairn, M.J., Ellis, C.K., Carruthers, N., Ghezelbash, R., 2005. Evaluating biological control of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) in California: A GIS based supply–demand demographic model. Biological Control 34: 115-131.

Pemsl, D., H. Waibel and A.P. Gutierrez. 2005. Why do some Bt-cotton farmers in China continue to use high levels of pesticides? International J. Agric. Sustainabily3:44-56.

Gutierrez, A. P and S. Ponsard, 2006. Physiologically based model of Bt cotton-pest interactions: I. Pink bollworm: resistance, refuges and risk. Ecological Modelling 191:346-359.

Gutierrez, A. P., J.J. Adamcyzk Jr. and S. Ponsard. 2006. A Physiologically based model of Bt cotton-pest interactions: II. bollworm-defoliator-natural enemy interactions. Ecological Modelling 191: 360-382.

Gutierrez, A.P. and J. Baumgartner (in press). Modeling the dynamics of tritrophic population interactions. In M. Kogan and P. Jepson eds., Perspectives in Ecology and Integrated Pest management, Cambridge University Press.

Gutierrez, Andrew Paul, Luigi Ponti, C.K. Ellis and Thibaud d’Oultremont (2006). Analysis of climate effects on agricultural systems: A report to the Governor of California sponsored by the California Cilate Change Center. http://www.climatechange.ca.gov/climate_action_team/reports/index.html.