Analysis of Spatiotemporal Variation in Habitat Suitability for <i>Oedaleus decorus asiaticus</i> Bei-Bienko on the Mongolian Plateau Using Maxent and Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data

<i>O. decorus asiaticus</i> is a major grasshopper species that harms the development of agriculture on the Mongolian Plateau. Therefore, it is important to enhance the monitoring of <i>O. decorus asiaticus</i>. In this study, the spatiotemporal variation in the habitat suita...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Fu Wen, Longhui Lu, Chaojia Nie, Zhongxiang Sun, Ronghao Liu, Wenjiang Huang, Huichun Ye
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-05-01
Series:Insects
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/6/492
Description
Summary:<i>O. decorus asiaticus</i> is a major grasshopper species that harms the development of agriculture on the Mongolian Plateau. Therefore, it is important to enhance the monitoring of <i>O. decorus asiaticus</i>. In this study, the spatiotemporal variation in the habitat suitability for <i>O. decorus asiaticus</i> on the Mongolian Plateau was assessed using maximum entropy (Maxent) modeling along with multi-source remote sensing data (meteorology, vegetation, soil, and topography). The predictions of the Maxent model were accurate (AUC = 0.910). The key environmental variables affecting the distribution of grasshoppers and their contribution were grass type (51.3%), accumulated precipitation (24.9%), altitude (13.0%), vegetation coverage (6.6%), and land surface temperature (4.2%). Based on the assessment results of suitability by Maxent model, the model threshold settings, and the formula for calculating the inhabitability index, the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s inhabitable areas were calculated. The results show that the distribution of suitable habitat for <i>O. decorus asiaticus</i> in 2000 was similar to that in 2010. From 2010 to 2020, the suitability of the habitat for <i>O. decorus asiaticus</i> in the central region of the Mongolian Plateau changed from moderate to high. The main factor contributing to this change was accumulated precipitation. Few changes in the areas of the habitat with low suitability were observed across the study period. The results of this study enhance our understanding of the vulnerability of different regions on the Mongolian Plateau to plagues of <i>O. decorus asiaticus</i> and will aid the monitoring of grasshopper plagues in this region.
ISSN:2075-4450