Which type of control involves manipulating the environment to favor natural enemies?

Natural control refers to the management strategy that seeks to enhance the presence and effectiveness of natural enemies such as predators, parasites, and pathogens that can help suppress pest populations. By manipulating the environment to create favorable conditions for these natural biological control agents, the pest population can be kept in check without the need for synthetic chemicals or other intervention methods. This approach hinges on promoting ecological balance and biodiversity, thus utilizing the inherent strengths of the ecosystem to manage pests naturally.

In contrast, cultural control focuses more on agricultural practices that reduce pest establishment and increase plant health, mechanical control involves physical removal or barriers to manage pests, and chemical control utilizes pesticides to eliminate or reduce pest populations. While all these methods play a role in integrated pest management, natural control specifically emphasizes the role of biotic factors in controlling pest populations naturally through environmental manipulation.