Predicting suitable breeding areas for different locust species – A multi-scale approach accounting for environmental conditions and current land cover situation

In this study, we present a fused multi-scale approach to model habitat suitability index (HSI) maps for three different locust species. The presented methodology was applied the Italian (Calliptamus italicus, CIT) in Pavlodar oblast, Northern Kazakhstan, Moroccan (Dociostaurus maroccanus, DMA) Turkistan South Kazakhstan and desert (Schistocerca gregaria) Awash river basin, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia. main novelty is based on implementing results from ecological niche modelling (ENM) with time-series analyses of high spatial resolution remote sensing data (Sentinel-2) further auxiliary datasets HSI model. Within ENM important climatic variables (e.g. temperature, rainfall) edaphic sand moisture contents) are included at coarse resolution. Sentinel-2 enables mapping breeding habitats recent remotely sensed land observation mirror actual vegetation state, use, cover way identify areas favorable conditions egg survival breeding. year 2019 were validated ground field reach area under curve (AUC) performance 0.747% CIT, 0.850% DMA 0.801% locust. innovation study which accounts not only environmental but also current management situation. This kind up-to-date detailed information could enable prioritization risk assessment, monitoring early intervention pests.