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    • Gypsy Moth Infestation, MA, CT, RI, USA
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Springfield A Gypsy Moth Infestation, MA, CT, RI, USA story

Forests  / 
Natural Disasters  / 
Wildlife
  1. Gypsy Moth Infestation, MA, CT, RI, USA
  2. Springfield
Description

The overall severity of gypsy moth defoliation was less in 2018, but the impacts on forest condition are still evident as both new defoliation and tree mortality. Between Springfield, Massachusetts, and the Quabbin Reservoir, changes in forest condition resulting from three years of above-average gypsy moth activity is revealed by Landsat imagery.

In fact, Landsat can detect both short-term and long-term forest disturbance of various causes. The gypsy moth outbreak is caused in part by an extreme weather event—drought. The pale horizontal line extending to the east from Springfield is the path of a tornado that touched down on June 1, 2011. Tornadoes are also an extreme weather event and unusual for this area.

The gypsy moth caterpillar has a larger effect on dominant species like oak, which can cause large-scale shifts in the very composition of the forest. With Landsat data and the resulting maps of infested areas, researchers can better understand the long-term impacts of outbreaks on the health of forests.

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Location

July 11, 2015, Landsat 8 (path/row 13/31) — gypsy moth infestation near Springfield, MA, USA

July 11, 2015, Landsat 8 (path/row 13/31) — gypsy moth infestation near Springfield, MA, USA

July 19, 2018, Landsat 8 (path/row 13/31) — gypsy moth infestation near Springfield, MA, USA

July 19, 2018, Landsat 8 (path/row 13/31) — gypsy moth infestation near Springfield, MA, USA

July 11, 2015, Landsat 8 (path/row 13/31) — gypsy moth infestation near Springfield, MA, USA
July 19, 2018, Landsat 8 (path/row 13/31) — gypsy moth infestation near Springfield, MA, USA

Gypsy Moth Infestation, MA, CT, RI, USA Additional Imagery & Stories

Damage
Damage

Gypsy moth caterpillars devour the leaves of hardwood trees, causing the greatest damage in late June as the larvae reach maturity. The caterpillars a...

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How Landsat Helps
How Landsat Helps

Landsat data can track the spread of the outbreak and monitor defoliation. Comparing newly acquired Landsat observations with long-term average condit...

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Outbreak Causes
Outbreak Causes

The current gypsy moth outbreak is thought to be the result of a series of unusually dry springs in 2014, 2015, and 2016, which suppressed a fungus th...

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