Tracking the Extent and Impacts of a Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) Outbreak in the Bienville National Forest

Abstract

The Bienville National Forest (BNF) in central Mississippi experienced an outbreak of southern pine beetle (SPB) beginning in 2015 and continuing through 2019. To assess the extent of the outbreak and subsequent treatments of impacted areas, high-resolution imagery was obtained from various sources and interpreted to determine the feasibility of this imagery for detecting SPB spots and tracking their spread and treatments. A negative binomial regression model then described the relationship between spot detection, year, and status (i.e., infestation/treatment) and then incidence rate ratios were calculated. The peak active infestation acreage occurred in 2017 with treatment and mitigation measures peaking in 2018. In total, over 4450 hectares (ha) were treated through 2019 in the BNF. Overall, it is possible to discern small areas of active SPB infestation and treatments. If used as a monitoring method, consistently available high-resolution imagery (e.g., from a satellite) provides an effective means of detecting, evaluating, and tracking infestations and related treatments.