NOAA/AVHRR satellite detection of Siberian silkmoth outbreaks in eastern Siberia

• Main Authors: V. I. Kharuk, K. J. Ranson, A. G. Kozuhovskaya, Y. P. Kondakov, I. A. Pestunov
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2004
• Subjects: taiga; Siberia
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.539.9131; http://forest.akadem.ru/Articles/04/kharuk2.pdf

Abstract. During 1993–1996, in central Siberia, a silkmoth (Dendrolimus superans sibiricus Tschetw.) infestation damaged approximately 700 000 ha of fir, Siberian pine and spruce stands. Temporal (1995–1997) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) images were used for pest outbreak monitoring of this event. Damaged stands were detected, with heavy (50–75% dead and dying trees) plus very heavy (w75%) levels of damage classified. Summer and winter images were used for delineation of the northern border of the region of pest outbreaks. The Siberian taiga insects were classified with respect to their harmfulness to forests, based on the frequency of outbreaks, the size of the damaged territory, and the available food sources based on forest type. 1.