What aspect is NOT included in integrated pest management?

Integrated pest management (IPM) encompasses a holistic approach to managing pests that focuses on several key components to minimize the use of chemical control methods and reduce environmental impacts. One of the critical aspects of IPM is assessing the environmental impact, which involves understanding how pest management practices affect the broader ecosystem. This ensures that interventions do not harm beneficial organisms or degrade environmental quality.

Monitoring pest levels is another essential part of IPM. Regularly tracking and assessing pest populations helps determine whether intervention is necessary and provides data for making informed decisions about pest control strategies. This proactive monitoring allows for timely and effective responses before pest populations reach damaging levels.

Evaluating control methods ties into the ongoing assessment of the effectiveness and safety of the methods being employed. This includes examining both chemical and non-chemical control options to refine practices continually and improve outcomes.

While assessing costs can play a role in decision-making, it is not a core element of IPM's foundational strategies. The primary focus of IPM is to integrate various methods of pest control with an awareness of environmental impact and the ecology of the pests in question, rather than purely focusing on the economic factors. Thus, assessing cost, while important in agricultural practices, is not an inherent component of the IPM framework.