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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #81154
Title: DETECTING AND MAPPING WESTERN PINE BEETLE INFESTATIONS WITH AIRBORNE VIDEOGRAPHY, GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES

Author
item Everitt, James
item RICHERSON, JAMES - SUL ROSS UNIV,ALPINE TX
item KARGES, JOHN - NATURE CONSERV.,ALPINE,TX
item Alaniz, Mario
item Davis, Michael
item Gomez, Alfredo - Fred

Submitted to: Southwestern Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/3/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Recent drought conditions in the Davis Mountains of west Texas have triggered several infestations of western pine beetles in ponderosa pines in this area. Improved methods are needed to detect and map these infestations because of the great expanse and inaccessibility of this area. Airborne color-infrared video imagery integrated with global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies were use for detecting and mapping western pine beetle infestations in a ponderosa pine forest in the Davis Mountains. Ponderosa pines infested with western pine beetles could be detected in the video imagery due to their pinkish white or yellowish gray image response. The integration of the GPS with the video imagery permitted the latitude/longitude coordinates of pine beetle infestations to be printed on each image. The GPS coordinates were entered into a GIS to map the pine beetle infestations over a 8 by 10 km study area. The integration of remote sensing, GPS, and GIS technologies enables forest and natural resource managers to develop regional maps depicting where insect infestations occur.

Technical Abstract: Aerial color-infrared digital videography was used with global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies for detecting and mapping western pine beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis LeConte) infestations in ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. Ex Laud.) in the Davis Mountains of west Texas. Ponderosa pines infested with western pine beetles could be detected in the CIR video imagery due to their pinkish white or yellowish gray image responses. The integration of the GPS with the video imagery permitted latitude-longitude coordinates of pine beetle infestations to be recorded on each image. The GPS latitude-longitude coordinates were entered into a GIS to map western pine beetle infestation in a 8 by 10 km study area.