Biological control is increasingly being used against invasive pest species. Possible negative effects of these control agents have become the subject of much debate. A recent paper by Messing and Wright (2006) reviews the record of biological control in Hawaii. Louda and Stiling (2004) discuss the risks associated biological controls for biodiversity conservation and restoration. Based on these papers and the other readings from the syllabus, provide a brief (no more than 3 pages) summary of the benefits and risks of biological control of pest species. Under what circumstances would you expect the benefits to outweigh the risks? (What are the traits of a good control species? When would you expect biological control to be most effective and of least risk to non-target species? In what situations would you suspect that the risks would outweigh the benefits?) What policy and management reforms could reduce the risk associated with biological control?