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Evaluating mortality dynamics during a spruce beetle epidemic in the southern Colorado Rocky Mountains

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dc.contributor.authorWoodward, Brian D., author
dc.contributor.authorEx, Seth, advisor
dc.contributor.authorEvangelista, Paul, advisor
dc.contributor.authorDavis, Thomas, committee member
dc.contributor.authorFalkowski, Mike, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2017-09-14T16:05:24Z
dc.date.available2018-09-12T16:04:38Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.description.abstractThe onset of a decade-long spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) epidemic in Southern Colorado has resulted in the death of thousands of acres of forests primarily dominated by Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii). To evaluate the ecological and economic impacts of this massive mortality event, researchers and land managers need the ability to actively track its progression, spread, and severity across large spatial extents. This study improves our understanding of this under researched spruce beetle epidemic in multiple ways. First, I mapped the progression and severity of this epidemic scale spruce beetle infestation using traditional remote sensing methods in new, unexplored scenarios. Working in a large (5000 km2), persistently cloud covered study area, I successfully fused data from multiple Landsat sensors in a decision tree based modelling framework to track the progression and severity of spruce beetle induced mortality throughout peak years of infestation (2011-2015). Next, I characterized spruce stand susceptibility to attack in this outbreak event and tracked how environmental characteristics of new spruce beetle attacks changed through time. I found that sites with new spruce beetle attack had higher canopy densities, were closer to disturbance events, and further from stream environments as compared to sites that had never been attacked. As the epidemic progressed, sites with new attacks occurred at higher elevations, on less steep slopes, were further from disturbances, and had less dense canopies. Findings from this study will support implementation of future landscape scale forest monitoring efforts using remote sensing, enable more directed on-the-ground management activities following beetle infestation, and highlight the dynamic nature of spruce beetle induced mortality across large spatial extents.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierWoodward_colostate_0053N_14328.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/183960
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2000-2019
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.titleEvaluating mortality dynamics during a spruce beetle epidemic in the southern Colorado Rocky Mountains
dc.typeText
dcterms.embargo.expires2018-09-12
dcterms.embargo.terms2018-09-12
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineForest and Rangeland Stewardship
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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