scholarly journals Modelling landscape genetic connectivity of the mountain pine beetle in western Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (11) ◽  
pp. 1339-1348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Wittische ◽  
Jasmine K. Janes ◽  
Patrick M.A. James
Keyword(s):  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Genetic Distances ◽  
Genetic Connectivity ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Resistance Surface ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Pine Beetle ◽  
The Impact

The current mountain pine beetle (MPB; Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, 1902) outbreak has reached more than 25 million hectares of forests in North America, affecting pine species throughout the region and substantially changing landscapes. However, landscape features that enhance or limit dispersal during the geographic expansion associated with the outbreak are poorly understood. One of the obstacles in evaluating the effects of landscape features on dispersal is the parameterization of resistance surfaces, which are often constructed based on biased expert opinion or by making assumptions in the calculation of ecological distances. In this study, we assessed the impact of four environmental variables on MPB genetic connectivity across western Canada. We optimized resistance surfaces using genetic algorithms and models of maximum likelihood population effects, based on pairwise genetic distances and ecological distances calculated using random-walk commute-time distances. Unlike other methods for the development of resistance surfaces, this approach does not make a priori assumptions about the direction or shape of the relationships between environmental features and their cost to movement. We found highest support for a composite resistance surface including elevation and climate. These results further the understanding of MPB movement during an outbreak. Additionally, we demonstrated how to use our results for management purposes.

Incoming! Association of landscape features with dispersing mountain pine beetle populations during a range expansion event in western Canada

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1097-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Honey-Marie C. de la Giroday ◽  
Allan L. Carroll ◽  
B. Staffan Lindgren ◽  
Brian H. Aukema
Keyword(s):  
Range Expansion ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Pine Beetle ◽  
Expansion Event

Spatial genetic structure of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreak in western Canada: historical patterns and contemporary dispersal

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 2931-2948 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. N. GAYATHRI SAMARASEKERA ◽  
NICHOLAS V. BARTELL ◽  
B. STAFFAN LINDGREN ◽  
JANICE E. K. COOKE ◽  
COREY S. DAVIS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Spatial Genetic Structure ◽  
Dendroctonus Ponderosae ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Pine Beetle

scholarly journals Consequences of mountain pine beetle outbreak on forest ecosystem services in western Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 987-999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amalesh Dhar ◽  
Lael Parrott ◽  
Scott Heckbert
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Salvage Logging ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Pine Beetle

After affecting millions of hectares of pine forests in western Canada, the mountain pine beetle (MPB; Dendroctonous ponderosae Hopkins) is spreading out of its native range and into Canada’s boreal forest. Impacts of outbreaks can be environmental, economic, and social, and an ecosystem services (ES) viewpoint provides a useful perspective for an integrated approach to assessing these impacts and may help to identify how possible management strategies could minimize these impacts. In this regards, a comprehensive overview of the ecosystem functions and socioeconomic factors that have been impacted by the current outbreaks in western Canada was carried out to facilitate a more general ES assessment. In addition to timber production, current MPB outbreaks have negative effects on provisioning services (water supply and food production) and aesthetic cultural services, while effects on regulating services (carbon and forest fire) are still in debate. Among the supporting services, nutrient cycling and aquatic habitat showed short- and long-term negative effects, while terrestrial habitat showed a mostly positive response. The overall impact on ES may be more severe if salvage logging is practiced as a post-MPB forest management strategy. The outcomes of this study may help to identify areas of greatest socioecological vulnerability to MPB and identify knowledge gaps and avenues for research to advance the ES framework for MPB outbreak management.

Rating the susceptibility of forests to mountain pine beetle infestations: the impact of data

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (11) ◽  
pp. 2815-2825 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Nelson ◽  
B Boots ◽  
M A Wulder ◽  
T Shore ◽  
L Safranyik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Content ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Surrogate Variables ◽  
Pine Beetle ◽  
Susceptibility Model ◽  
The Impact

British Columbia is currently experiencing the largest mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) epidemic on record. The spatial extent of this infestation highlights the need for large-area forest management. We explore the use of three large-area data sets for implementing a stand-scale model of forest susceptibility that quantifies the probability of loss of pine basal area because of attack by the mountain pine beetle. Using these data sets, we investigate the impact of surrogate variables, which is necessary when variables required for the susceptibility model are not present in a data set. The impact of the source data information content on the susceptibility model output is also analyzed. Results indicate that the susceptibility model is sensitive to both surrogate variables and data sources and suggest that landscape level application of the susceptibility model, which was developed using stand-scale relationships, is problematic. Of particular concern is the use of photointerpreted data sets for model parameterization. The information content in photointerpreted data sets is much different than data on similar forest characteristics collected in the field and provides an inadequate substitute for implementing the forest susceptibility model.

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