Data and Knowledge Preservation

Photo by: Rebekah D. Wallace

Did you know that many projects begin, have a specific purpose planned out, but do not have a long-term plan in place for the management of the data after the project ends?  This is an issue across many research fields, including natural/physical/social sciences, medicine, and other fields which collect data.  For many years, there wasn't a venue or way for data to be stored, categorized, searchable, and broadly available, so this was a problem without an easy solution.  Now, the internet and public databases have helped to provide a piece to that puzzle, however, there are still issues with adoption of technology, errors in documentation. lack of standardization, and more.  Check out our article on Data and Knowledge Preservation over at Earthzine to learn more about this topic.

Thoughts from the International Congress of Entomology 2016

It has been a little over a week since we participated at the International Congress of Entomology 2016 in Orlando, FL and it was a great experience.  The Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health hosted a booth in the Exhibit Hall for the week and we also participated in the Symposium: What Happens When Pest Occurrence Data is Shared: End of the World or New Horizons?

Image by: Rebekah D. Wallace

The conference had over 6,600 registered attendants and about half came from outside of the United States, representing 102 countries. It was a great opportunity to meet people we may not have another chance to otherwise.  In the six days that the Exhibit Hall was open and we were able to talk to over 260 people from at least 32 countries.  We talked at length with researchers from Nigeria, industry representatives from the U.K., academics from New Zealand, and more.  Some of the most interested attendees were the students who came from everywhere.  We were able to talk to people who had not heard of our program, those who only knew about one or two things that we do, and people who were avid supporters of Bugwood.

In working at the booth, we were able to make new connections with people who may be interested in using images from the Image Database in teaching and outreach.  Many were also interested in contributing images so that other researchers, teachers, students, etc. could have access to high-quality images.  We talked to people about EDDMapS and how we work with people in the invasive species community to map species occurrences across the U.S. and in Canada, and there were many people interested in potentially mapping in their own country, asking how we could work together to make that happen.  They learned about our smartphone apps and all of the types we have developed for reporting invasive species, identification, decision support, and more.  The teachers, and really anyone who has given a presentation, were interested in Bugwood Presents, our presentation database that allows you to upload, download, and embed presentations.

But, really, the greatest thing is when avid supporters would come to the booth and talk with other visitors about all of the things that we have done with them.  Countless projects, hours (and after-hours), travel time, webinars, e-mails, phone calls, and more with all of our partners is definitely worth it to hear how much people have been satisfied with the work we are doing.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by!

Students Tackle Hydrilla Problem in NC

Fishing, a beloved hobby nationwide, is starting to become a little more involved than digging up some worms and heading out on your boat for an afternoon.  Aquatic invasive species are reproducing rapidly, completely out competing native vegetation in some areas and making it more difficult to even move a motorboat around a pond or river.  Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) has taken over waterways in Edenton, NC and the students and community members have begun an information campaign and will put up cleaning tools to encourage boaters to clean their equipment to prevent further spread in the area.

Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) tangled on a boat motor by Wilfredo Robles, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org

If you spot hydrilla while out and about, don't forget to report it!  You can find the smartphone application for your area on the BugwoodApps website and download it before you head out.  Don't forget to include a picture with your report!


Want to know if it is in your area?  Hydrilla distribution map
More images of hydrilla?  Hydrilla certicillata
BugwoodWiki: Hydrilla

Community teams up to fight the spread of hydrilla

Wanted! Reports of Chinaberry!

It certainly is a great time of year to find invasives!  Chinaberry (Melia azedarach) is in full bloom and so it's a good time to map it.  As warm weather moves up the country, mappers in the more northern states keep a look out in the coming weeks for these distinctive trees and flowers.

chinaberry (Melia azedarach) by Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org

Chinaberry is a tree that is commonly found along road and forest edges and in disturbed areas.  Here in the south I have noticed it most at the edges of agricultural fields.

chinaberry (Melia azedarach) by Karan A. Rawlins, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

The leaves are alternate and twice- to three-times compound with serrated leaflet edges.   In the fall, the leaves will turn golden-yellow.

chinaberry (Melia azedarach) by Emily Earp, FloridaNature.org, Bugwood.org

The flowers are blooming now and are showy, lavender, and have five petals.  These will turn into fruit which are the size of marbles and are on long stalks.  These will be seen best after the leaves fall in late autumn to early winter and are readily spread by birds.

EDDMapS is always looking to fill in the gaps on the distribution maps.  So if you see a blank county where you know chinaberry can be found, run out and map it using one of the BugwoodApps! The SEEDN app is an app for reporting invasive species occurrences for the southeastern U.S. and is available on iOS (Apple products) and Android devices. If you don't have a smartphone, tablet, or other such device, you can report findings through EDDMapS. Remember to take a picture of the plants you find with your report! Once your reports are verified, it will color in the map where data is currently missing. Happy scouting!


To view distribution maps of chinaberry: Chinaberry distribution
For identification information and other resources on chinaberry: Chinaberry information
To view images of chinaberry: Chinaberry images

Calling all Mappers! Japanese Honeysuckle is Blooming!

While out walking on Sunday I noticed that the Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is in full bloom here in south Georgia! Seemingly out of nowhere, the days have gotten longer and the temperature has started to really creep up.

Japanese honeysuckle is an invasive flowering vine that has taken over large swathes of the U.S.  It has opposite leaves and flowers.  The flowers occur in pairs at the leaf axils and will often turn from white to a soft yellow as they age.

Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) by Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

EDDMapS is Bugwood's website for mapping and reporting invasive species nationwide.  It includes data from all types of sources, herbariums to homeowners and federal agencies to citizen scientist programs.  It relies on accurate and quality reports of invasive species occurrences to fill in the maps  and to show a complete distribution of a species.  As Japanese honeysuckle is most easily seen when it is flowering, help us fill in the gaps on the map in the next several weeks!

The easiest way to report where you find Japanese honeysuckle is to use one of the BugwoodApps! The SEEDN app is an app for reporting invasive species occurrences for the southeastern U.S. and is available on iOS (Apple products) and Android devices. If you don't have a smartphone, tablet, or other such device, you can report findings through EDDMapS. Remember to take a picture of the plants you find with your report! Once your reports are verified, it will color in the map where data is currently missing. Happy scouting!


To view distribution maps of Japanese honeysuckle: Japanese honeysuckle distribution
For identification information and other resources on Japanese honeysuckle: Japanese honeysuckle information
To view images of Japanese honeysuckle: Japanese honeysuckle images

Fill in the Gaps! Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)

It's hard to believe that the first day of spring is tomorrow, especially for those still shoveling snow!  The first Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) flowers have been spotted in south Georgia and now is a good time to keep an eye out for infested areas.

Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) by Robert Vidéki, Doronicum Kft., Bugwood.org

EDDMapS is Bugwood's website for mapping and reporting invasive species nationwide.  It includes data from all types of sources, herbariums to homeowners and federal agencies to citizen scientist programs.  It relies on accurate and quality reports of invasive species occurrences to fill in the maps to show a complete distribution of a species.  As Chinese wisteria is most easily seen when it is flowering, help us fill in the gaps on the map in the next several weeks!

The easiest way to report where you find Chinese wisteria is to use one of the BugwoodApps!  The SEEDN app is an app for reporting invasive species occurrences for the southeastern U.S. and is available on iOS (Apple products) and Android devices.  If you don't have a smartphone, tablet, or other such device, you can report findings through EDDMapS. Remember to take a picture of the plants you find with your report!  Once your reports are verified, it will color in the map where data is currently missing.  Happy scouting!

To view distribution maps of Chinese Wisteria: Chinese wisteria distribution

For identification information and other resources on Chinese wisteria: Chinese wisteria information

To view images of Chinese wisteria: Chinese wisteria images

The green menace strikes again! Human health effects of Emerald Ash Borer

Steven Valley, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org

PBS NewsHour just published a piece on How Removing Trees Can Kill You as related to the loss of ash in Detroit, Michigan as a result of Emerald Ash Borer. 

Geoffrey Donovan noted "Increased rates of death from cardiovascular and lower respiratory mortality in the counties with emerald ash borer. And interestingly, what we found was the effect got bigger the longer you had an infestation, which makes sense because it takes two to five years for a tree to die typically."

I've always touted the fact that trees in urban environments make it a better place to live. It takes something like this to make you appreciate just how important they can be!

Give us your common dandelion seeds!!!

Some of you remember our recent call for oak caterpillars.  We have another researcher who wants your unwanted critters...Dandelions!

John Cardina at The Ohio State University needs your dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) seeds.  He's looking at their genes to find out how much diversity is in the population and determine if they mainly with themselves or if they cross with other dandelions.  To do this, he needs dandelion seeds from all over the country AND he needs to know where the seeds came from!

 Here’s how to collect dandelion seeds:

1. Select 4 healthy dandelion plants from different parts of your yard or field.  They could also be from different parts of your life – one on the way to work, one in the park, one in the flowerbed next to the grocery store, etc.  In other words, not four plants right together (but if that’s all you can get, that’s fine too).
2. Pick one flower head (puff-ball) per plant.  He needs the seeds (achenes) – with or without fluff (pappus) - from one individual flower head per plant
3. Pluck the seeds (the entire puff-ball), and put them into a coin envelope or folded paper. Please keep the four puff-balls separate (different envelopes or in separate folds of paper).
4. Label each one with information on where and when you found each one.  GPS coordinates are preferred but zip code, street address, road intersection, or other reference will work.  The date is collected on is all we need for the when.
5. Send the seeds to John at:
        John Cardina
        OSU/OARDC
        1680 Madison Ave.
        Wooster, OH  44691

As an added bonus, We'll be working with John to post the occurrence data into EDDMapS.  Right now our data on dandelion is pretty sparse.

Android versions of Outsmart Invasives and Missouri River Watershed Invasives Now Available!

Many of you have been contacting us to find out when the Android versions of our Invasive Species Reporting Apps will be available.  We have recently released the Android versions of Outsmart Invasives and Missouri River Watershed Coalition Invasive Species Reporting.  These apps support the work of people in Massachusetts, Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Nebraska who are trying to locate and manage invasive species.

Call for Data - National Data Collection Project

Through funding from U. S. Forest Service - Forest Health Protection, we are now expanding the call for invasive plant distribution data nationwide! This will allow EDDMapS to display the true range of known invasive plants as well as add new species to the distribution maps as they are reported. Plants such as jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica), garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) have noticeably patch distribution maps; we hope to be able to connect "isolated" populations to the existing known range. To handle the anticipated influx of data, we hired Rebekah Wallace, MS Weed Science - University of Georgia, as EDDMapS Data Coordinator to streamline the recruiting, formatting, and uploading bulk data into EDDmapS. Please contact Rebekah at bekahwal@uga.edu or 229-386-3298 and help us to complete the picture of invasive plant distribution nationwide.