Newsletter / USDA Forest Service, Forest Insect & Disease Management, Methods Application Group

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USDA ® Forest Service

forest insect & disease management
methods application group

2810 Chiles Rd. * Davis, Ca. 95616

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October 1982 (14)

NEWSLETTER

GOODBYE DAVIS - HELLO FT. COLLINS

Forest Service Chief Max Peterson
made the decision, in July of this year,
to relocate MAG in Ft. Collins, Colorado.
The relocation will permit greater day-
to-day contact with groups such as the
Resources Evaluation Techniques Project
located at the Rocky Mountain Forest and
Range Experiment Station, the USDA Ft.
Collins Computer Center and Colorado
State University. Additionally, Ft.
Collins, with its geographic location,
provides for easier access to the field
and more efficient travel connections.

Office space has been obtained at
Drake Executive Plaza, a new office
complex on the south side of the city,
approximately one mile from the Rocky
Mountain Forest and Range Experiment
Station headquarters. Our new address
i s:

Suite 350, Drake Executive Plaza

2625 Redwing Rd.

Ft. Col Tins, CO 80526

Our new phone numbers are:

FTS 323-5265

Comm'l 303-223-5025

Present plans are to activate the new
office in October 1981. The existing
Davis location will remain in operation
until the end of December 1981, to phase
out current projects. This Newsletter
will be the last published from the Davis
1ocation.

The pesticide application activities
will remain at the Davis location.

First van load to Ft. Collins

SAMPLING ALLOCATIONS FOR MOUNTAIN PINE
BEETLE SURVEYS

In cooperation with the Pacific
Southwest Forest and Range Experiment
Station an evaluation of alternative
sampling strategies for MPB loss surveys
in lodgepole and Ponderosa pines has been
completed. Data obtained from surveys
conducted between 1976 and 1980 were used
for this evaluation. Results are being
summarized to provide a guide for future
surveys. Factors considered in this
evaluation were number of photo plots,
number of photo plots for ground truth,
number of subplots for ground truth,
sampling error, and cost in terms of
manpower required. Information obtained
from this study can be used to determine
sample size required and to achieve a
specified sampling error when estimating
losses from Mountain Pine Beetle.

WESTWIDE MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE SURVEY
UNDERWAY

A westwide inventory of mortality
caused by the mountain pine beetle in
lodgepole and ponderosa pine forests is
underway. Purpose of this survey is to
estimate current levels of tree mortality
and volume loss by land ownership. The
survey is the first attempt to provide
statistical data with levels of precision
in accordance with standards set by Level
II of the Forest Insect and Disease
Information System (FIDIS).

Forest Service Regions involved in
the survey are the Northern Region (R-l),
Missoula, Montana; Rocky Mountain Region
(R-2), Denver, Colorado; Intermountain
Region (R-4), Ogden, Utah; and the
Pacific Northwest Region (R-6), Portland
Oregon.

The Survey is a multistage probabil¬
ity proportional to size (PPS) design and
involves aerial sketch mapping, large
scale color aerial photography and ground
sampling. Aerial photos were obtained
with a Forest Service aircraft based at
the Pacific Southwest Region (R-5) and by
contract aircraft.

When completed, the survey will pro¬
vide data on the location of infested
areas by major 1andownership classes and
estimates of numbers of trees killed and
cubic foot volume loss for Oregon,
Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and
Utah. Final data should be available in
January 1982.

AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION SYSTEM EVALUATED

As part of the westwide mountain pine
beetle loss survey, an aircraft naviga¬
tion system was evaluated for locating
aerial photo plots. The system evaluated
was the Global Navigation System GNS-2, a
VLF/Omega Navigational System.

The system was installed in the
Forest Service's Aero Commander based in
the Pacific Southwest Region (R-5). This

aircraft was used to acquire aerial
photos for a mountain pine beetle loss
survey of Oregon and Washington and a
special survey to risk-rate ponderosa
pine stands on the Black Hills National
Forest in South Dakota for hazard of
mountain pine beetle infestation.

According to Jule Caylor, Remote
Sensing Specialist for the Forest Service
Pacific Southwest Region in San Fran¬
cisco, who flew the photo missions,
search time in navigating between photo
plots is reduced but the system is not
yet accurate enough to pinpoint plot
locations. In the mountain pine beetle
surveys of Oregon and Washington, flight
time was estimated to be reduced from a
projected 120 hours to 80 hours at a cost
saving of $7,000.

U-2 PHOTOGRAPHY OF A GYPSY MOTH OUTBREAK

In cooperation with the Morgantown
FPM Field Office, of the Northeastern
Area, MAG is investigating the use of
high altitude panoramic aerial photog¬
raphy to detect and classify gypsy moth
defoliation in central Pennsylvania and
northeastern New Jersey. Photography was
taken during peak defoliation from a U-2
aircraft with the IRIS II optical bar
camera, an improved version of the KA80A
camera. The color infrared frames cover¬
ing a scan angle of 140° have been
indexed on county road maps and their
scales computed and averaged (1:32,500).
Equal-area grids generated by the
Geometronics staff of the Rocky Mountain
Region in Denver, Colorado, will be used
to classify defoliation. Photo intrepre-
tation to delineate infestation bound¬
aries and stratify defoliation categories
wi11 begin this fall.

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PANDORA MOTH PILOT PROJECT

The pandora moth, on occasion, is a
serious defoliator of pines in the West.
It becomes epidemic about once every 20
to 25 years. Therefore, a forest ento¬
mologist working in the west may encoun¬
ter this pest once during his profes¬
sional career.

During 1979 the pandora moth reached
epidemic proportions on the North Kaibab
Plateau in Arizona near the north rim of
the Grand Canyon. FPM (R-3) conducted a
pilot test against this insect using
Orthene, in Spring 1981.

John Schmelik and Mark Mayberry of the
Northern Region estimate spray deposit
size during aircraft characterization
trials on the Deerlodge NF in Montana

A variety of specialized assistance
was provided by MAG on this project.
Since the insect becomes epidemic at such
infrequent intervals, virtually nothing
is known about sampling the population.
Bob Young, in col 1aboration with John
Schmid of the Rocky Mountain Forest and
Range Experiment Station, conducted some
preliminary investigation on the distri¬
bution of larvae in infested stands to
help develop a pre- and post-spray
sampling strategy. In additon. Bill
Ciesla (MAG) teamed up with Jule Caylor
of the Pacific Southwest Region in San
Francisco to obtain color infrared aerial
photos of the spray blocks and surround¬
ing stands before and after spraying to
help determine the degree of foliage
protection achieved by the spray. Pre¬
liminary results indicate that aerial
photos can be used for detecting overall
control effects.

Assistance in aircraft calibration
and spray deposit assessment was provided
by Jack Barry and Patti Kenney.

Dan Twardus of the Pacific Northwest
Region (R-6) in Portland collects spray
deposit cards and needle samples follow¬
ing spraying

Bob Ekblad of MEDC with some new
drift and deposit samplers

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WESTERN SPRUCE BUDWORM PILOT PROJECT
COMPLETED

Pilot control projects designed to
evaluate two commercial preparations of
the bacterial insecticide Racill us
thuringiensi s were conducted during June
1981 fn the Northern Region (R-l) and
Southwestern Region (R-3). The purpose
of these projects was to evaluate Di pel
4L and Thuricide 16B for protecting
relatively small acreages of high value
Douglas-fir and true fir.

The projects were conducted in
accordance with a common statistical
design developed by a task force of
Regional FPM and Research personnel.
Jack Barry of MAG served as project
coordinator.

Both projects were conducted as
planned with a minimum of difficulty.
Materials were applied with turbine
powered agricultural aircraft which
performed well in rugged mountainous
terrain. Larval mortality is presently
being analyzed and plans have been
formalized to monitor egg mass numbers,
defoliation, and 1982 larval density in
treated and untreated areas through the
next field season.

MAG specialists provided assistance
in aircraft calibration and character¬
ization and spray deposit assessment.
The two projects provided an opportunity
to evaluate spray deposits on Douglas-fir
needles, the primary target for the
aerial spray. This work is presently
underway. In addition, Bob Ekblad of the
Missoula Equipment Development Center
(MEDC) conducted tests of several new
drift and spray deposit samplers.

GRASSHOPPERS TREATED ON CALIFORNIA
FORESTS

Brian Sturgess (R-5) and Jack Barry
(MAG) monitored spray drift during an
aerial spray project (Malathion) to
control grasshoppers in a pine plantation
on the Stanislaus NF, California. USDA-
APHIS conducted the aerial operations
while FPM personnel positioned spray
deposit cards in the spray area and along
a buffer strip surrounding a spring. MAG
analyzed the data and summarized
presented results. The low volume
application with a Bell 204 was
successful in reducing the grasshopper
population with only minimal drift.

Bell 204 applies ULV malathion to grass¬
hopper infected plantation

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PESTICIDE APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY
CONTRACTS UNDERWAY

Three contracts dealing with pesti¬
cide application technology are being
administered by FPM/MAG. The field phase
of a mountain spray drift study was
completed in June. The contractor, ESC,
is analyzing the data and a report will
be issued in 1982. A second contract is
with Ketron, Inc., and calls for develop¬
ment of a systematic approach to aerial
application. The plan resulting from
this contract will provide the framework
for FPM direction in aerial application
technology. A report will be released
early in 1982. A third contract, with
H.E. Cramer Co., of Salt Lake City, Utah,
will provide technical assistance to FPM
in the use of the Forest Service CBG
Forest Spray Model. This contract
continues through 1982. Jack Barry is
the COR for these projects. John Wong is
assisting with the Cramer contract.

MAG STAFF ACTIVITIES

Bill Ciesla presented a paper
describing the application of panoramic
aerial photography in Forest Pest Manage¬
ment at the Eighth Biennial Workshop on
Color Aerial Photography in the Plant
Sciences in Luray, Virginia.

John Wong gave a special lecture to
the University of California, Berkeley,
Entomology Department, in the application
of the Douglas-fir tussock moth Stand-
Outbreak Model as a pest management
decisionmaking tool.

PERSONNEL CHANGES

With the transfer of MAG to Ft.
Collins, the staffing of MAG will take on
a substantial new look.

Bill Ciesla, Group Leader, and
Eleanor Franz, Adminstrative Tech, will
relocate in Ft. Collins and form the
nucleus of the new unit. Bill will
report in early October and Eleanor in
January.

Patricia White, Computer Specialist,
has accepted a similar position with the
U.S. Army Presidio in San Francisco.

Jack Barry, National Pesticide
Application Specialist, and Patricia
Kenney, Biological Tech, will remain in
Davis following the transfer of MAG to
Ft. Collins. Jack will continue as
National Pesticide Application Specialist
attached to the Washington Office and
Patti will work as Jack's technician.

i

Janet Zacharias has accepted a
position as Secretary to the Director of
Oceanographic Research at the U.S. Naval
Post Graduate School in Monterey,
California.

Sam Suznovitch, Clerk-typist has
accepted a similar position with
McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento.

Jody Barnett, Editorial Assistant,
will remain in the local area.

Bill White, Supervisory Entomologist
with the Forest Service Rocky Mountain
Region in Denver, Colorado, has accepted
a position as Impact Survey Coordinator,
thus becoming the first member of the new
MAG-Et. Collins team.

Bill Klein, Survey Systems Special¬
ist, who recently returned from an
Inter-governmental Personal Act (I PA)
assignment to teach aerial photogrammetry
at Stephen F. Austin State University,
Nacogdoches, Texas, will retire. He
plans to return to Stephen F. Austin in
1982 to resume his teaching duties.

John Wong, Mathematician, and Bob
Young, Biometrician, have elected to
remain in California and will seek
alternative employment.

5

PUBLICATIONS

Barry, J., J. Wong, P. Kenney, L. Barber,
H. Flake and R. Ekblad. 1981.
Deposition of pesticide drops on pine
foliage from aerial application.
Zeitschrift Fur angewante

Entomologie (Journal of Applied
Entomology). IN press.

Ciesla, W.M. 1981. Development and
application of panoramic aerial
photography in forest pest
management. Proceedings - Eighth
Biennial Workshop on Color Aerial
Photography in the Plant Sciences and
Related Field, American Society of
Photogrammetry: 19-27.

Klein, William H. and Frederick Lory.
1981. Field Stereo viewers for aerial
photography. J. Forestry 79:444-46.

Klein, W.H. 1980. Measuring MPB caused
tree mortality with aerial photog¬
raphy. Proc. 1979 Convention SAF
132-135.

Mention of commercial
products does not imply
endorsement by UDSA

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FOREST SERVICE

FOREST INSECT & DISEASE MANAGEMENT
METHODS APPLICATION GROUP
DAVIS, CALIFORNIA 95616

National Agricultural library

imwm* 1 Records
Beltsville, MD 20705