Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience in this 2019-2020 progress reporting include small to medium-sized land and forest owners who have Loblolly pine trees and experience Loblolly pinetree damage due to pine beetle infestation. This audience also includes national parks and wilderness areas. Wood processing companies are targeted in this report as awareness of pine beetle influence on their operation and final product can potentially prove to have a negativeeconomic impact. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The methods for the purpose of this grant-funded project of evaluating Loblolly pine forests for pests have been documented and published in the global journal website, Scientia Global. This project's goals and objectives has also been presented at our Fort Valley State University Agricultural Field day and the annual Sunbelt Expo (Moultrie, Georgia). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Samples will be collected from healthy and disturbed (pine beetle infested) forest sites and tested for their composition as well as their burnability (fouling and slagging indecies). Conclusions will be used to make evaluations on the effects of pine-beetle damage on Loblolly pine trees and selectproducts.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Sites have been determined for both healthy and pine beetle infested areas. UAV drones have been deployed to collect NDVI (vegetation density) data and provide precursors to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy areas. Thermal sensors were also used to find discrepencies in temperature data to further scout areas of disease activity.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dr Cedric Ogden - Help from Above: Using Drones to Combat Pine Forest Pests. November 13, 2019. Earth and Environment, Engineering and Tech
http://doi.org/10.33548/SCIENTIA439
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Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences included in this 2018-2019 progress reporting include small to medium-sized land and forest owners who have experienced Loblolly pinetree damage due to pine bettle infestation. This audience also includes national parks and wilderness areas. Wood processing companies are targeted in this report as awareness ofpine bettle influence on their operation and final product can potentially prove to have an economic impact. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities for training and professional development included determining indicators of pine beetle damage and infestation. Provide evidence of the effects of pine beetle damage on tree crowns and how infestations expand if left untreated. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results from this progress reporting have been extended to landowner, Mr. Ragin Herman and neighboring residents of Perry, Georgia familiar with his pine-beetle problem. They were made aware of distinguishing a healthy forest track from one damaged by pine-beetles. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Site specific information will be used to locate pine beetle damaged areas using aerial photography. Determine how aerial data can be used for forest health. Collection of wood samples from healthy and beetle-damaged areas in preparation of analyses.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Loblolly pinetree forest locations were determined. Pine beetle infestations were identified in a site located in Perry, Georgia. A control location (Healthy loblolly pinetree forest with no signs of pine beetle damage) was identified at Fort Valley State University (Fort Valley, Georgia).
Publications
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Progress 07/16/18 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:This McIntire Stennis project entitled, 'Feasibility Study on Processing Wood Pellets from Beetle-Infested Loblolly Pine trees in Georgia' targets medium/large landowners, foresters and students of Agriculture. Georgia landowners will be interested in increasing/maintaining parcel value with knowledge of pine tree immortality.An effecient method of evaluating beetle envasion will aid owners of forestry in making decisions of removal or salvage for harvesting and processing. Students will gain experience in research, evaluating data and generating models for decision-making. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Find site specific locations (latitude/longitude) and install weather stations at both sources ofbeetle-infested and non-infested pines. Purchase thermal camera and collect samples for fuel analyses from site specific locations.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Project testing/monitoring sites located for sources ofbeetle-infested and non-infested pines. Wood chipper and forestry harvesting equipment purchased.
Publications
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