The IPED Pest Matrix
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Tools for Assessing and Managing Community Forests | 
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Author: Joseph LaForest, University of Georgia
What is the Pest Matrix?
The pest matrix is a data file that is used by various computer programs to help interpret the data from the IPED Protocol. It is a comma delimited file that contains information about what signs and symptoms are associated with the IPED Early detection targets and other look-alike organisms. Although it can be viewed by users, the complexity involved in reading the file and relating it to the survey data makes direct use of the file impractical. When used through the IPED desktop reporting system or through the IPED Key, it can help determine if the signs and symptoms from the survey match those that would indicate that you may have an infestation of a pest or disease.
Does having the signs and symptoms for a pest and disease mean I definitely have it?
No. Just because you have the signs and symptoms associated with an organism id does not mean that you definitely have a certain pest. All that it means is that it is possible that the organism is present and you should take a closer look at the tree to find more evidence. Here is an example:
A city employee surveys a tree and finds the following Signs and Symptoms:
- The base of the tree has epicormic shoots and D-shaped exit holes
- 35% of the crown is dead and a greater percent is wilting
- D-shaped exit holes are also found on some of the larger branches
- Some minor leaf notching is found on the foliage
Based on just the information presented, it is possible that the tree is infested with Agrilus planipennis, but it is also possible that the tree is infested with any of the other native flathead borers such as Agrilus anxius or an exotic flathead borer like the Agrilus biguttatus. In this case you would start by identifying what tree it is since the different borers mentioned here feed on different hosts (Ash, Birch and Oak, respectively).
In the end, the only way to be 100% sure that you have a certain pest or disease is to capture it!
How is the Pest Matrix coded?
The Pest Matrix is coded according to the schema used in the CSV export for Lucid Keys. This is because the Pest Matrix is designed to be uploaded into Lucid to allow users to explore the information in a friendly and useful way while also linking to images and factsheets for the various pests. The columns of the matrix are the name of the pest, hosts, signs, and symptoms from the pest detection protocol. Each row of the pest matrix contains information for a particular pest. The names of the pest are text while all other fields are a number from 0 - 5.
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | absent (Entity does not have this feature) |
| 1 | present (Entity does have this feature) |
| 2 | unknown (It is not known if the entity has this feature) |
| 3 | rare (Rarely, the entity does have this feature (i.e. color patterns, the 4th leaf of a clover, etc.) |
| 4 | commonly misinterpreted (Entity does not have this feature, but people frequently mark this feature as present by mistake) |
| 5 | rarely misinterpreted (Entity does not have this feature, but people rarely mark this feature as present by mistake) |
The actual pest matrix has 104 columns and it would be difficult to show an example of this here. A generic example of a coded matrix is featured below.
| Item | Yellow | Red | Orange | Blue | Green | White | Round | Curved | Straight | Moving | Stationary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banana | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Blueberry | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Apple | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Grass | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Dog | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The raw pest matrix would look like this:
Item,Yellow,Red,Orange,Blue,Green,White,Round,Curved,Straight,Moving,Stationary
Banana,1,0,0,0,1,0,0,1,5,0,1
Blueberry,0,0,0,1,0,0,1,0,0,0,1
Apple,3,1,4,0,1,5,1,0,0,0,1
Grass,3,0,0,0,1,4,0,3,1,0,1
Dog,0,3,3,0,0,1,0,0,0,1,0
Where is the Pest Matrix used?
Currently, the Pest Matrix is only used in the IPED desktop reporting system and the IPED Key.
I am a Tree inventory program developer. How can I get a copy of the pest matrix to integrate with my program?
The pest matrix is constantly being updated with new species and updated information. The columns of the matrix do not change but rows are added as new pests are included. The most recent copy of the pest matrix will be available for download.
Interpreting the pest matrix for use in your system will require some expertise to fully understand how to use the file properly. For basic filtering, it can look at the Pest Matrix to determine where the user collecting the data indicated the presence of a sign or symptom regardless of if it is a rare occurrence or misinterpreted. All signs and symptoms in the protocol section of the filter are joined by AND. Hosts would need to be joined by OR rather than AND to pick up one pest that affects several tree species.
