Pest Management Strategies for Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant and an Assessment of Aerial Radiography for Hazard Rating Pine Stands for Southern Pine Beetle Infestation

摘要

Currently, sampling or hazard rating insects at military installations is limited. The use of aerial videography is a relatively new technology and is currently used for aerial surveys and is being developed for hazard rating for southern pine beetle. The purpose of this study was to apply existing sampling methods for various insects and disease at the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant in Karnak, Texas and to test the effectiveness of aerial videography for hazard rating pine stands for southern pine beetle. Based on field data, stands were generally rated as moderate for southern pine beetle; moderate to high infestations of pine tip moth occurred with little associated damage; and annosus root rot was not apparent in the stands. Fusiform rust was evident in the stands but little mortality occurred. Aerial videography at 1,000 feet AGL proved to be adequate for southern pine beetle hazard rating in this study. Because of the resolution of video, missions need to be flown at about 1000 feet above ground level (AGL) before individual trees in a dense forest may be discerned. Missions such as this should probably only be used for small stands, such as for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, Picoides borealis, stands, military installations, or tree farms. The project is stored as a GIS in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry GIS Lab.