Structural modeling: an application to the evaluation of ecosystem-based practices at the plot scale

Abstract

This paper proposes the use of structural modeling for the evaluation of ecosystem-based practices (e.g. biological control of crop pests) on the basis of data collected at the scale of the agricultural plot. In the first part, we present the analytical approach used - structural modeling in partial least squares, i.e. Partial Least Squares - Path Modeling (PLS-PM). In the second part, we present the field of study and the data considered in this work. In the third part, we present and discuss the results from the PLS-PM approach implementation.
Finally, we conclude on the validation of this approach and the prospects for its possible extension.