Keeping pests below a certain level is referred to as what?

The concept of keeping pests below a certain level is best described as pest suppression. This approach focuses on managing pest populations to ensure they do not reach numbers that would cause significant harm to crops, plants, or the environment. The goal is not to eliminate pests entirely but to maintain their populations at manageable levels, minimizing damage and maintaining ecological balance.

Pest management broadly encompasses various strategies for dealing with pests, including prevention, monitoring, and control methods. Pest control implies a more active approach that may include the outright elimination of pests, while pest elimination suggests completely eradicating the pest from an area, which is often unrealistic and can lead to negative ecological consequences. Pest suppression is thus a more sustainable and balanced approach, aiming for acceptable impact levels rather than complete eradication.