OPTIMIZING SPATIAL AND DYNAMIC POPULATION‐BASED CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR INVADING FOREST PESTS

Abstract

This paper explores spatial optimization approaches to managing invading exotic forest pests. The relevant land planning area is divided into cells, and pest population growth and dispersal are modeled with linear, continuous‐variable formulations. Management actions are limited to those that apply directly to pest extermination, as opposed to host‐oriented management actions. A stylized case example is used to demonstrate the potential application of the model formulation and to show that simple spatial strategies such as “barrier zone” approaches to slowing an organism's invasion may not always be optimal.