Adult Population Survey of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in Massachusetts 2003-2005

To effectively document insect presence and abundance a statistically based sampling plan is necessary. No such plan for the hemlock woolly adelgid is currently available in the published literature. Two interrelated sampling strategies allow a researcher to enter a site and determine with a given level of probability whether or not an HWA infestation is present and the level of infestation. A ground based sampling plan is also critical to the ‘ground truthing’ of aerial survey systems. A fully developed sampling plan requires relatively extensive datasets obtained over time, and may include the use of computer-generated data obtained through re-sampling techniques. The results obtained through the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program should provide a firm foundation for further development of an HWA sampling program. Data collection is on-going.

为有效记录昆虫的存在与种群丰度，基于统计学的抽样方案必不可少。目前已发表文献中尚无针对铁杉球蚜（hemlock woolly adelgid, HWA）的此类抽样方案。两种相互关联的抽样策略可帮助研究人员抵达样地，并以预设概率水平判定样地是否存在铁杉球蚜侵染及其侵染程度。基于地面的抽样方案对于航空调查系统的地面验证（ground truthing）同样至关重要。一套成熟完善的抽样方案需要通过长期积累获取规模可观的数据集，还可涵盖通过重采样技术生成的计算机辅助数据。由哈佛森林夏季研究项目（Harvard Forest Summer Research Program）获取的研究结果，将为铁杉球蚜抽样方案的后续开发提供坚实基础。目前数据采集工作仍在进行中。