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Dryad

Validation of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug survey in Washington, Utah, North Carolina, and California

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Nov 01, 2024 version files 22.05 MB

Abstract

Invasive species are particularly problematic because it is often difficult to eradicate once established, it is crucial to economically and effectively allocate resources for early monitoring and eradication programs. Given that the cost to manage an invasive species after it is established is typically 10-15 times higher (or more) than the cost to eradicate the species early during an invasion, the failure to effectively allocate resources for monitoring remains a major impediment to effective invasive species management. Ecological niche models are often used to predict the distribution of invasive species before or after they have been detected in new regions. Such models should also be used to guide surveys to promote the early detection and eradication of invasive species. Here we propose a practical framework that seamlessly uses ecological niche models to develop sampling routes that promote detection of invasive species. Our framework uses habitat suitability predictions and occurrence data on incursion populations to generate potential survey sites, which are then prioritized for sampling based on their size and suitability. The generated survey route is then displayed on an open street map platform. Our framework was developed into the “enmRoute” R package and a user-friendly website to facilitate its application, and we validated our framework with a case study. We show that integrating ecological niche models with human transport routes promotes the identification of survey sites that are predicted to collect more individuals and have a greater potential for species detection than traditional sampling approaches. The data provided here is intended to validate our platform and to optimize the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug survey in Washington, Utah, North Carolina, and California. The habitat suitability predictions for this stinkbug and detection in these four states were provided, together with the scripts that were used to generate survey routes.