The USDA Southeast Climate Hub released the 2020 forecast of southern pine beetle outbreak risk in the southeastern US using the Southern Pine Beetle Outbreak Model (SPBOM1).
The USDA Southeast Climate Hub just released the 2020 forecast of southern pine beetle outbreak risk and severity in the southeastern US using the Southern Pine Beetle Outbreak Model, version 1.0 (SPBOM1). SPBOM1 will be used each spring to provide outbreak forecasts for the coming growing season (i.e., spring, summer, and fall). The map above shows the latest SPB forecast from the USDA Southeast Climate Hub. Region-wide, 2020 is predicted to be a less severe year for SPB outbreaks compared to 2019, but there are noted areas of moderate to high beetle activity in Mississippi, eastern and northeastern Georgia, and western North Carolina. For more information about SPBOM please visit Forecasting Short- and Long-term Southern Pine Beetle Risk in the Southeastern US.