Impact of environmental variables on Dubas bug infestation rate: A case study from the Sultanate of Oman

Khalifa M Al-Kindi; Paul Kwan; Nigel Andrew; Mitchell Welch

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0178109

Back

Impact of environmental variables on Dubas bug infestation rate: A case study from the Sultanate of Oman

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Impact of environmental variables on Dubas bug infestation rate: A case study from the Sultanate of Oman

Khalifa M Al-Kindi, Paul Kwan, Nigel Andrew and Mitchell Welch

PloS one, Vol.12(5), e0178109

30/05/2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0178109

PMCID: PMC5448759

PMID: 28558069

Files and links (2)

pdf

Impact of environmental variables on Dubas bug infestation rate: A case study from the Sultanate of Oman9.76 MBDownload View

Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access

url

Impact of environmental variables on Dubas bug infestation rate: A case study from the Sultanate of OmanView

Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open

Metrics

10 Record Views

15 Times Cited - Web of Science

See more details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

Source: InCites

Abstract

Animals

Hemiptera - pathogenicity

Models, Theoretical

Oman

Phoeniceae - parasitology

Regression Analysis

Marine geology

Sea water

Date palm cultivation is economically important in the Sultanate of Oman, with significant financial investment coming from both the government and from private individuals. However, a global infestation of Dubas bug (Ommatissus lybicus Bergevin) has impacted the Middle East region, and infestations of date palms have been widespread. In this study, spatial analysis and geostatistical techniques were used to model the spatial distribution of Dubas bug infestations to (a) identify correlations between Dubas bug densities and different environmental variables, and (b) predict the locations of future Dubas bug infestations in Oman. Firstly, we considered individual environmental variables and their correlations with infestation locations. Then, we applied more complex predictive models and regression analysis techniques to investigate the combinations of environmental factors most conducive to the survival and spread of the Dubas bug. Environmental variables including elevation, geology, and distance to drainage pathways were found to significantly affect Dubas bug infestations. In contrast, aspect and hillshade did not significantly impact on Dubas bug infestations. Understanding their distribution and therefore applying targeted controls on their spread is important for effective mapping, control and management (e.g., resource allocation) of Dubas bug infestations.

Details

Title: Impact of environmental variables on Dubas bug infestation rate: A case study from the Sultanate of Oman
Creators: Khalifa M Al-Kindi - University of New England
Paul Kwan - University of New England
Nigel Andrew - University of New England
Mitchell Welch - University of New England
Publication Details: PloS one, Vol.12(5), e0178109
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Identifiers: 991013087218502368
Copyright: © 2017 Al-Kindi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Academic Unit: Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Impact of environmental variables on Dubas bug infestation rate: A case study from the Sultanate of Oman

Files and links (2)

Metrics

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Abstract

Details

Southern Cross University Social media