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Elements and Performance Criteria
Performance Evidence
An individual demonstrating competency must satisfy all of the elements and performance criteria in this unit.
There must be evidence that the individual has conducted entomological research with a focus in any two of the following research themes:conception, design, and implementation of safe and efficacious control strategyresearch and development of alternative pest management strategies investigative study on the longevity, infectivity and virulence of tree pestsmonitoring and assessment of infestation levels of a pest outbreak design and implementation of biocontrol strategies using predators, parasitoids and entomopathogenic fungidesign and implementation of methods for monitoring and assessing population dynamics and distribution of tree pest speciesimplementation of a comparative ecological field study investigating efficacy and compatibility of pest insect control strategiesresearch and test a management plan for a phytophagous insectresearch and test a breeding program for a beneficial insectresearch three model systems to examine tritrophic effects of tree susceptibilitydesign, implement, investigate, evaluate and report on tritrophic interactions investigate preference and survivability of insects in a tree environmentdesign projects investigating the subsequent risk analysis and tests requireddevelopment of a tree pest survey strategyresearch and report on geographical or climatic distribution of insect pestscoordination with an international and domestic multidisciplinary collaborative research initiative.There must also be evidence that the individual has:investigated anatomical, morphological and taxonomical features of insectsexamined the interaction of insects with treesresearched annualised population and generational behaviour of insectsdeveloped and documented a reference collection of a minimum of one hundred specimens of arboricultural related insects and vectors from at least four orders of insects, annotated with the following:date of collectionlocation where insect was collectedhost tree/plant on which it was collected/feedsname of insect to at least the level of generadesigned and developed a database to store information of tree pests and vectorscompiled host climatic and geographic distribution datainvestigated and identified natural antagonists, predators and parasitoids of insectsinvestigated phytophagous and damaging insect–tree dynamicsinvestigated symbiotic/beneficial insect–tree dynamicsinvestigated physiological responses of tree resistance to insectsinvestigated host–pathogen and pathogen–vector interactionsevaluated conditions affecting selection of host trees by subcortical feeding insects and factors associated with attackinvestigated and assessed insect transmission of diseaseevaluated multi-trophic interactions between host plant-pest-pathogen/parasitoidsdetermined economic costs of insect damage to treesevaluated insects as environmental indicators of health and conditiondetermined insect biological hazardsinvestigated impact and effects of control strategies on target and non-target organismsinvestigated insect resistance to pesticidesinvestigated and evaluate biological control agents of tree pest controlresearched and evaluated plant health management options to manage insect damagecollected, tabulated and analysed data for publicationsdetermined relevance of results to arboriculturecompiled and communicated research and results in a research paper according to standards expected of professional technical peer-reviewed journalsubmitted research paper for review reviewed feedback from reviewer and amended papercommunicated key facts and conclusions to industry in an article or presentation.
Knowledge Evidence
An individual must be able to demonstrate the knowledge required to perform the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit. This includes knowledge of:
research skills and designing research projects, including:investigative skills and monitoring techniques defining the scope and purpose of research activitydata collection, management and storagedata processing, analysis and modellingstatistics and data interpretationdesign and development of formal research papers and the process of peer-reviewed publicationdesign and development of industry papers and presentations for communication of research and findingsentomology and the impact of insects on our environment, including:anatomical, morphological and taxonomical features of different classes of insectsinsect behaviour, ecology and nutrition and their interaction with treespopulation and generational behaviour and phenology of insects and impact on plants and trees over timehost, climatic and geographic distribution of insectsinsects as indicators of environmental healthcollecting, storing and documenting insect reference collections, including:catching and preserving techniquestaxonomic and naming conventions for insectstagging and labelling specimensdesign and construction of databases and data entry proceduresinsects and their economic impact on society and health of trees, including:natural antagonists, predators and parasitoids of insectsphytophagous and damaging insects on tree dynamicssymbiotic and beneficial insects and impact on tree dynamicsnatural responses of trees to insect invasion host-pathogen and pathogen-vector interactionssubcortical feeding insects and conditions for selecting host treesfactors associated with successful attackinsect as a vector for transmission of diseaseinsects as biological hazardsa systems approach to multi-trophic interactions between host plant-pest-pathogen or parasitoids pest insect control strategies, their advantages and disadvantages, including:mechanical controlchemical control and pesticide resistancebiological control agentsmanaging the environment and tree health to offset infestationsintegrated pest management (IPM)direct and indirect impact of chemical pesticides and biocontrol agents on target and off-target organisms.