Potential establishment areas of exotic pests in the U.S. in relation to host availability and freight transportation patterns

As international trade increases so does the prominence of port service areas as gateways for exotic pests in forest and agricultural ecosystems. Delimiting hot spots for invasions (i.e., areas where establishment is likely) would facilitate monitoring efforts aimed at early detection. A propagule-pressure framework was used to delimit establishment hot spots of a hypothetical generalist pest in the U.S. The combined effect of host availability and freight transportation patterns was used to delimit establishment hot spots. The implications of findings for management and design of monitoring programs are discussed.