'Citizen science' aids budworm battle:Rural dwellers assist with survey work by monitoring pheromone traps

摘要

We've been hearing the warnings for a few years, and now it appears a new Spruce budworm infestation is indeed bearing down upon the Atlantic region. Another outbreak was inevitable. This native insect is normally kept in check by natural controls such as predators and parasites, but on a cyclical basis its numbers peak.Dispersed by moth flights on wind currents, budworm can reach high densities and cause defoliation of Balsam fir and spruce trees, resulting in major economic losses for the forest industry. In hopes of slowing the spread of this infestation and reducingits intensity through earlyintervention, scientists are trying to keep close tabs on budworm populations, and some members of the public are lending a hand.