Management decision-making tools for mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) populations in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) stands

To prevent the buildup of epidemic level mountain pine beetle populations, conditions of the stand environment they inhabit must be altered. Silvicultural treatment is the most effective means for doing this. Preventative treatments work best when applied while mountain pine beetle populations are still at the endemic population level. Therefore, information necessary for making decisions concerning mountain pine beetle populations in lodgepole pine stands needs to be included in the initial silvicultural prescription planning process, at a time before beetle populations reach outbreak numbers. In this dissertation, several quantitative descriptions of the mountain pine beetle/lodgepole pine relationship were investigated. Models were developed to 1) describe the temperature-dependent development of six mountain pine beetle life stages and 2) describe the amount of loss a stand could sustain if an epidemic level population were to occur in the stand. Concepts of mountain pine beetle risk rating were also discussed. These models and additional information pertaining to the mountain pine beetle/lodgepole pine relationship were incorporated into a knowledge-based system, the MPB Advisory System. This system was designed to help U.S. Forest Service silviculturists include decisions concerning mountain pine beetle populations in the stand management process.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Entomology

Department dc:contributor.department

Entomology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1991

Author dc:creator

• Bentz, Barbara Joan

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Logan, Jesse A.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Amman, G. D.
• Gregoire, Timothy G.
• Ravlin, Forrest W.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-07282008-135558

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/38976