ARS | Publication request: From Maps To Knowledge To Management: Understanding, predicting and managing the invasion process can be improved by using geographic information systems

Submitted to: Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 6, 2007
Publication Date: February 5, 2008
Citation: Rew, L.J., Wiles, L., Shaw, D. 2008. From Maps To Knowledge To Management: Understanding, predicting and managing the invasion process can be improved by using geographic information systems. Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts. Chicago Illinois, February 7, 2008

Technical Abstract: Concern over the invasion and consequent spread of non-native plant species is increasing in crop, range and wild land areas. Invasion of non-native species is considered second only to loss of habitat in terms of extinction of native species. Cost of control of non-native plant species, particularly those designated as “noxious” in the U.S. due to their potential negative economic impact, runs to billions of dollars per year. Land managers are generally faced with limited resources to manage non-native plant invasions over extensive and diverse landscapes, and have inadequate information on how best to prioritize and control them. Geographic information systems (GIS) provide a means to understand and model the environmental and biotic variables which drive the processes of invasion and analyze the spatial distribution of the problem. Topics which are being addressed by invasion ecologists using GIS include: determining the most effective methods to survey and map established and newly invading species; determining where such species are most likely to spread rapidly; how to prioritize species, populations and areas for control; and predicting areas most at risk of target species invasion. This symposium aims to explore some of these topics and demonstrate how GIS can be used to further our understanding of the processes which drive invasion, and the most effective management practices to control such invasions