Document Type
Thesis - University Access Only
Award Date
2002
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department / School
Geography
Abstract
Western com rootworms create economic and environmental concerns in the Com Belt region of the United States. In order to supplement the population control tactics of the areawide program in Brookings, South Dakota, I used GIS and spatial analysis to examine the spatial relationships from 1997-2001 between population dynamics, habitat structure, topography, and soil type. I am using this information to find patterns in the landscape that promote high population density patches. Using the inverse distance weighted interpolation technique, I created surface maps to estimate areas of WCR populations that were collected from emergence and post-emergence traps. For each year, I used these maps to overlay with vegetation, topography, and soil maps to search for any quantitative relationships. Spatial autocorrelation showed that WCR were highly aggregated. Shifts in landscape structure, such as size, number, and arrangement of patches were associated with population abundance and distribution. Contingency analysis showed that population densities are associated with soil texture and elevation.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Western corn rootworm -- South Dakota -- Geographical distribution Spatial analysis (Statistics)
Format
application/pdf
Number of Pages
111
Publisher
South Dakota State University
Recommended Citation
Beckler, Amber, "Characterization of the Spatial Distribution of the Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) in the South Dakota Areawide Management Site" (2002). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 901.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd2/901