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Bull Math Biol

Title:		Pattern formation in a model for mountain pine beetle dispersal: linking model predictions to data
Author(s):		Strohm S; Tyson RC; Powell JA;
Address:		"University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, Canada, shaun.strohm@gmail.com"
Journal Title:		Bull Math Biol
Year:		2013
Volume:		20130808
Issue:		10
Page Number:		1778 - 1797
DOI:		10.1007/s11538-013-9868-8
ISSN/ISBN:		1522-9602 (Electronic) 0092-8240 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Pattern formation occurs in a wide range of biological systems. This pattern formation can occur in mathematical models because of diffusion-driven instability or due to the interaction between reaction, diffusion, and chemotaxis. In this paper, we investigate the spatial pattern formation of attack clusters in a system for Mountain Pine Beetle. The pattern formation (aggregation) of the Mountain Pine Beetle in order to attack susceptible trees is crucial for their survival and reproduction. We use a reaction-diffusion equation with chemotaxis to model the interaction between Mountain Pine Beetle, Mountain Pine Beetle pheromones, and susceptible trees. Mathematical analysis is utilized to discover the spacing in-between beetle attacks on the susceptible landscape. The model predictions are verified by analysing aerial detection survey data of Mountain Pine Beetle Attack from the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. We find that the distance between Mountain Pine Beetle attack clusters predicted by our model closely corresponds to the observed attack data in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. These results clarify the spatial mechanisms controlling the transition from incipient to epidemic populations and may lead to control measures which protect forests from Mountain Pine Beetle outbreak"
Keywords:		"Animals Coleoptera/*pathogenicity/*physiology Computational Biology Ecosystem Idaho Linear Models Mathematical Concepts *Models, Biological Pattern Recognition, Automated/statistics & numerical data Pheromones/physiology Pinus/*parasitology Plant Diseases;"
Notes:		"MedlineStrohm, S Tyson, R C Powell, J A eng 2013/08/09 Bull Math Biol. 2013 Oct; 75(10):1778-97. doi: 10.1007/s11538-013-9868-8. Epub 2013 Aug 8"