Modelling Monochamus galloprovincialis dispersal trajectories across a heterogeneous landscape to optimize monitoring by trapping networks

Abstract

Context 14 The pine wood nematode (PWN), is an invasive species which was introduced into Europe in 15 1999. It represents a major economic and ecological threat to European forests. In Europe, the 16 maritime pine is the main host and Monochamus galloprovinciallis is its only vector. 17 18 Objectives 19 Our goal was to analyze the effect of landscape heterogeneity on the vector’s dispersal. We 20 further aimed at developing a new method to locate the origin of insects captured in a systematic 21 network of pheromone traps. 22 23 Methods 24 A mark-release-recapture experiment was carried out in a heterogeneous landscape combining 25 maritime pine plantations, clear-cuts and isolated patches of broadleaved and mixed forests in 26 the southwest of France. 27 Least-cost path analysis was used to model dispersal trajectories and assign friction values to 28 each land-use type in the landscape. We used the trap’s geographical coordinates, capture levels 29 and mean friction values of neighbouring patches to calculate a weighed barycentre and the 30 position of the release of marked beetles