Satellite-derived maps of defoliation caused by European spongy moths – a devastating U.S. forest pest that consumes the leaves of a wide variety of trees – offer a promising solution for tracking where and when to spray and for identifying large scale trends and conditions that lead to pest outbreaks, according to a new study.
Satellite-derived maps of defoliation caused by European spongy moths – a devastating U.S. forest pest that consumes the leaves of a wide variety of trees – offer a promising solution for tracking where and when to spray and for identifying large scale trends and conditions that lead to pest outbreaks, according to a new study.
The research, published online in the journal Forest Ecology and Management, also offers evidence that warm, dry summers might predict an outbreak the following year, as the main pathogens that kill the moth’s larvae require moisture to thrive, which means higher numbers of moths survive to lay eggs that hatch in the subsequent spring.
The paper describes a new algorithm that robustly quantifies European spongy moth defoliation using high-resolution satellite imagery of forest canopies. The study’s authors created a defoliation index based on time series of satellite images, which provides insight into whether the greenery has changed over short periods.
Read More: Cornell University
