The Driving Forces of Anoplophora glabripennis Have Spatial Spillover Effects

Jixia Huang,Xiao Lu,Shixiang Zong,Hengzi Liu

doi:10.3390/f12121678

Abstract

Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky, 1854 (Asian longhorned beetle) does serious damage to forests. It has a long history and wide distribution area in China and is spreading there and elsewhere. Extreme climate events, such as cold surges and droughts, have had a promotive impact on Anoplophora glabripennis occurrence, but the spatial spillover effect of extreme climate events and other environmental factors on the occurrence of this pest has not yet been clarified. Two indices, namely, Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and Low Temperature Index (LTI), were used to quantify the effects of drought and low-temperature freezing damage. Based on spatial panel data modeling, this study calculated the spatial spillover effect of environmental factors on the incidence of Anoplophora glabripennis in 666 counties in China’s central plains from 2002 to 2009. The factors examined included LTI, SPEI, average wind speed, hours of sunlight, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of regional primary industry, population density, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and pest control rate. Study results indicated that the impacts of environmental factors on the incidence rate of Anoplophora glabripennis are different. Low-temperature freezing damage, drought, wind speed, and pest control rate had a driving impact on pest incidence rates. Overall, the direct effect accounts for about 85% of the total effect, while the indirect effect accounts for about 15% of the total effect.

Highlights

Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky, 1854 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), known as Asian longhorned beetle, is one of the main forest pests threatening the health of forest resources around the world
Nine environmental factors were used to measure the influence of natural and human factors on the incidence rate of A. glabripennis, whose direct, indirect, and total effects were estimated by spatial panel data models
The direct effect characterized the impact on the pest incidence rate in a county of that county’s proxy variables

Summary

Introduction

Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky, 1854 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), known as Asian longhorned beetle, is one of the main forest pests threatening the health of forest resources around the world. A. glabripennis had long been a general pest in China, with very few outbreak records. At present in China, A. glabripennis has become one of the major forest pests, and the pest occurs primarily in farmland shelter belts and timber forest areas north of the Yangtze River. In order to improve the ecological environment as soon as possible, Populus dakuanensis Hsu was chosen as the main plantation species, but it was later found that this species was susceptible to A. glabripennis, and the species was too homogeneous. These factors led to the outbreak of A. glabripennis [2]. A. glabripennis is not considered a pest in Korea as it is uncommon and typically attacks native Acer mono Maxim and Acer truncatum Bunge [1,3,6]

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