Resumo

LOPEZ GOMEZ, Víctor et al. Influence of climatic parameters on the population fluctuations of the complex Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman, 1868 and Dendroctonus mexicanus Hopkins, 1909. Rev. mex. de cienc. forestales [online]. 2017, vol.8, n.41, pp.7-29. ISSN 2007-1132.

Bark beetles are responsible for the loss of forest mass in Mexico as the second most important cause, so knowing the factors that increase the probability of active outbreaks will help make better decisions for their control. The objectives of the present work were to determine the influence of eight climatic parameters on the population fluctuations of Dendroctonus frontalis and Dendroctonus mexicanus in two municipalities of the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro state; as well as to design mathematical models of prediction. A ten-month monitoring showed that only six parameters (temperature, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, wind temperature, thermal sensation and temperature / humidity quotient) were related to the number of beetles of both species, which were only recognized just in one municipality, while relative humidity and wind speed had no effect. Thermal sensation and atmospheric pressure influenced the size of populations of D. frontalis, while cumulative rainfall did for D. mexicanus. It is concluded that there are atmospheric conditions which are associated with the numerical variations of bark beetles, in addition to those that are usually tested (temperature and humidity). The climatic components that explain the most important differences have a particular effect depending on the coleopteran species; finally, the distance of the meteorological station that registers them must be considered when interpreting such relation because it can generate a high uncertainty.

Palavras-chave : Temperate forest; bark beetles; aggregation pheromones; predictive models; monitoring; Lindgren traps.