Geographical Information Systems: Land Fragmentation Impact on the Spread of Emerald Ash Borer

Le résumé fourni par la source

Emerald ash borer is an invasive borer insect that was first discovered in North America in 2002. It has killed 99% of all ash trees, Fraxinus spp., and has spread throughout The Great Lakes region. This project will use a GIS to analyze how fragmentation of woodlands impacted the spread of emerald ash borer throughout the Chicago region. The ash borer was first detected in 2007 in Northern Illinois. We will use woodland plot data collected from 2000 to 2020 in DuPage County forest preserves to estimate the impact of the emerald ash borer through the decline of the ash trees within the woodland plots. Four data layers will be used to build the GIS: individual tree species points based on DuPage County data, DuPage County forest preserve boundaries, land cover from the EPA, and human population density from U.S. census data. Fragmentation will be measured using forest preserve borders and land cover data. It is hypothesized that forest preserves that have greater fragmentation and are more isolated will have a delayed response to the presence of the emerald ash borer. Preliminary work indicates that the decline of the ash trees throughout DuPage County happened consistently across all woodland plots. This suggests that, despite fragmentation, the borer is able to travel across different preserves. This research can help inform other areas that are experiencing the spread of this invasive species.

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