About The Project

Learn about the Southern Pine Beetle prediction system, its history, partners, and the collaborative effort behind this important forest management tool.

Project Overview

The Southern Pine Beetle prediction system represents over three decades of collaborative research and forest management innovation. This web-based tool provides forest managers with critical data to anticipate and respond to beetle outbreaks across the southern United States.

Historical Foundation

This project builds upon the foundational work of Ron Billings of the Texas A&M University Forest Service (retired). Since 1987, Ron coordinated annual predictions of summer SPB outbreaks based on spring trapping data provided by cooperators across the southern range of the beetle.

Our current system continues this legacy, incorporating modern statistical methods and web technologies to make these predictions more accessible and actionable for forest managers.

Reference: Billings, R. F., and W. W. Upton. 2010. A methodology for assessing annual risk of southern pine beetle outbreaks across the southern region using pheromone traps. Pages 73–85 in J. M. Pye, H. M. Rauscher, Y. Sands, D. C. Lee, and J. S. Beatty, editors. Advances in threat assessment and their application to forest and rangeland management. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-802. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest and Southern Research Stations.

Collaborative Network

The southern pine beetle prediction system represents a collaboration of researchers, forest managers, and institutions working together to protect forest resources.

Project Committee

Principal Investigators

Matthew Ayres, Carissa Aoki

Research Team

Steve Clark, Kevin Dodds, Lorie Loeb, John Nowak, Brian Sullivan, Michael Torbett

Supported by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service Special Technology Development Program (STDP)

U.S.D.A. Forest Service

Steve Clark - Entomologist
John Nowak - Entomologist, Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program Coordinator
Brian Sullivan - Entomologist

State Forestry Agencies

Alabama: Dana Stone (Alabama Forestry Commission)
Arkansas: Chandler Barton (Arkansas Forestry Commission)
Florida: Jeff Eickwort and Chris Pearce (Florida Forest Service)
Georgia: Michael Torbett and Chip Bates (Georgia Forestry Commission)
Louisiana: Brent Cutrer (Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry)
Mississippi: Todd Matthews (Mississippi Forestry Commission)
North Carolina: Rob Trickel (North Carolina Forest Service)
South Carolina: David Jenkins (South Carolina Forestry Commission)
Tennessee: Nathan Hoover (Tennessee Division of Forestry)
Texas: Shane Harrington (Texas A&M Forest Service)
Virginia: Lori Chamberlin (Virginia Department of Forestry)

Technical Development

Web design and development by the Dartmouth Applied Learning and Innovation (DALI) Lab at Dartmouth College.

Current Team

Thomas Monfre, Developer
Jeff Liu, Developer
Angela Zhang, Developer
Hannah Utter, Team Manager
Barkin Cavdaroglu, Designer
Darley Sackitey, Designer and Animator

Previous Contributors

Nathan Schneider, Developer
John McCambridge, Developer
Madeline Hess, Developer
Isabel Hurley, Developer
Anuj Varma, Team Manager
Emma Langfitt, Designer and Developer

Funding

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation under Award ID 1917002.

Contact Information

Research & Program Questions

Carissa Aoki
caoki@mica.edu
Matthew Ayres
matthew.p.ayres@dartmouth.edu

Local Forest Management

US Forest Service
(800) 832-1355

Technical Support

Dartmouth DALI Lab
pine-beetle@dali.dartmouth.edu