My Experience Using EDDMapS and Practical Applications
Luckily, I have been involved in some invasive species management projects prior to beginning my work with EDDMapS, so I had some training on recognizing and identifying invasive species. For folks that don't have training in this area, the desktop version at EDDMapS.org contains lots of good tools for learning to identify invasives in their area.
I used EDDMapS through the Android App. I downloaded it for free from the app store and began right away.
The app is very intuitive. You simply open it, push the green button with a plus sign on it and drop the location of the species you are reporting. You can take a photo, report the density, report if that species has been treated, and select a habitat classification such as wetland, yard, managed area, easement, etc. You can save any additional details and treatment comments.
Here is what the screen looks like for the desktop version after I uploaded my reports
Two of the main species I reported were Johnson Grass and Emerald Ash Borer.
The Johnson Grass is an ongoing battle in our wildlife clearings. We plant things that are helpful to the native wildlife and to pollinators. Often we plant milkweed, sunflowers, clover, and buckwheat, as well as native flowers. Johnson Grass is prolific and hardy and loves to take over our clearings. It is of little to no use to wildlife. It might be helpful to other land managers to understand where it was growing and under what conditions.
The sharing of information across multiple land use types and protected areas is a necessity when dealing with the interconnectedness of ecosystems when it comes to invasive species. EDDMapS is an intuitive and simple way to contribute to this sharing of information.
I used EDDMapS through the Android App. I downloaded it for free from the app store and began right away.
The app is very intuitive. You simply open it, push the green button with a plus sign on it and drop the location of the species you are reporting. You can take a photo, report the density, report if that species has been treated, and select a habitat classification such as wetland, yard, managed area, easement, etc. You can save any additional details and treatment comments.
Here is what the screen looks like for the desktop version after I uploaded my reports
Two of the main species I reported were Johnson Grass and Emerald Ash Borer.
The Johnson Grass is an ongoing battle in our wildlife clearings. We plant things that are helpful to the native wildlife and to pollinators. Often we plant milkweed, sunflowers, clover, and buckwheat, as well as native flowers. Johnson Grass is prolific and hardy and loves to take over our clearings. It is of little to no use to wildlife. It might be helpful to other land managers to understand where it was growing and under what conditions.
Here you can see that the point is right on the edge of a clearing.
Emerald Ash Borer is a problem in one of the developed campgrounds on the district where I work. It probably got there when some campers moved firewood from out of the area and is now causing high tree mortality. The Forest Service has had to cut down most of the Ash trees in the campground because of this infestation. Not moving firewood is a focal point of a large information campaign to try to stop the spread of Emerald Ash Borer. This information can help land managers as well as the public understand the impact of transporting the Emerald Ash Borer unknowingly to campgrounds via outside fire wood.
The sharing of information across multiple land use types and protected areas is a necessity when dealing with the interconnectedness of ecosystems when it comes to invasive species. EDDMapS is an intuitive and simple way to contribute to this sharing of information.
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