STATE COLLEGE, Pa., April 3 (UPI) -- U.S. and British scientists say they've created a software program to give land managers more efficient, cost-effective ways of controlling gypsy moths.
The computer model was developed by biologists at Penn State University and Britain's University of Cambridge to fight the spread of gypsy moths, which are responsible for the defoliation of more than 1 million acres of forest land each year.
"Our model is state dependent, which means that it recommends different management strategies depending on the situation," said Penn State Associate Professor Katriona Shea, who led the study. "Most managers currently use the same strategy in all situations but our model suggests that by tailoring their approach to a particular situation, managers can be more effective in slowing the spread of invasive species."
Gypsy moths, introduced to North America in the late 1860s, have spread throughout the northeastern United States and into the Midwest.
The researchers said their model might help slow or halt the moths' spread into new areas, especially North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
The study is to appear this month in the journal Ecological Applications.
