Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Modeling Phloem Temperatures Relative To Mountain Pine Beetle Phenology, Matthew Jared Lewis

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

We explore a variety of methods to estimate phloem temperatures from ambient air temperatures suitable for the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae. A model's ability to induce the same phenology generated from observed phloem temperatures measures its effectiveness rather than a simple reconstruction of phloem temperatures. From a model's phenology results we are able to ascertain whether the model produces a similar amount of developmental energy exhibited by observed phloem temperatures.

Three models performed best: Newton, Newton South and Matching. The Newton model uses Newton's Law of Cooling to effectively estimate northern aspect phloem temperatures. The Newton South model …