Southern Bark Beetle Maps Will Be More Accurate

Forest One, Inc. has teamed up with the Texas Forest Service and the U.S. Forest Service to produce more accurate maps charting the health of southern pine forests and their vulnerability to Southern Pine Beetle infestation. The effort will use satellite imagery to plot a hazard rating for tracts of timber with a resolution down to one acre.

The Southern Pine Beetle is one of the most destructive insect pests in the southern United States and ranges through Mexico as far south as Nicaragua. The pest causes damage in excess of $100 million each year.

Charting trees' relative health will enable forest managers to carry out preventative maintenance, helping to limit damage over wide areas. Project mapping will initially focus on the forested areas of east Texas, with mapping eventually extended across the entire southeastern pine belt.

More information: Clark Love, (601) 594-0479, or the Forest One web site, www.forestone.com.