bark beetles and their hosts

Drought, declining acres of old growth and vast areas of mature second growth have led to increased wildfire risk and bark beetle infestation in ponderosa pine forests. In 2006 we joined a cooperative project involved in understanding the biology and potential control of one of the more destructive bark beetles in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), the western pine beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis). This project, led by Jane Hayes of the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, has the goal of measuring the sampling range and effective sampling area of a semiochemical attractant-baited trap system commonly used for western pine beetle. Understanding these values will permit more effective use of these traps in beetle detection, monitoring, evaluation and suppression. Our participation in this project primarily involves examination of meteorological parameters and their affects on sampling range and effective area, and use of our findings to model trap distribution strategies for application in suppression.