iMapInvasives Introduction & Training

Note: This storymap will be made available to all registered participants of today's webinar training.

• Harm Caused by Invasive Species
• What is iMapInvasives?
• Pennsylvania iMapInvasives Program
• Differences Between iMapInvasives and Similar Platforms
• Importance of Reporting Your Findings
• Requesting a Login Account
• Mobile App & Online Data Entry
• Email Alerts
• Data Querying and Report Tools

Before we delve into our main topic of iMapInvasives, let's start with the basic premise of why iMapInvasives exists: to map invasive species.

In their natural range, species of plants, animals, and insects are limited by factors that keep them in balance with the rest of nature. These factors can include pests, herbivores, or diseases. However, when introduced into an area where these limitations are absent, some species can become invasive and the biodiverse plant and wildlife communities that have evolved in a particular region over a long period of time can be destroyed.

So, now that we know a little bit more about invasive species and the harm they cause, let's delve into the topic of iMapInvasives...

 iMapInvasives  is an online GIS-based reporting and data management tool used to track invasive species.

The goal of the program is to assist natural resource professionals and citizen scientists by advancing their knowledge of species distributions and to provide a tool which stores both location and management details.

The impetus for the creation of iMapInvasives came when the  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation  (NYS DEC) approached the  New York Natural Heritage Program  (NYNHP) in 2005/2006 and asked if they would manage an all-taxa, GIS-based state invasive species database. A similar database,  EDDMapS , was, at the time, not GIS-based, plants-only, point data-only, and not interested in implementing  GIS  or polygon-drawing technology in their database. Another similar database,  USGS NAS , tracked only aquatic data and was not for citizen science use. Therefore, work began to develop the original iMapInvasives online GIS-based information system. In 2010, iMapInvasives was officially created.

The original funders of the iMapInvasives program included the  New York Natural Heritage Program ,  The Nature Conservancy in Oregon , and an annual fee paid by each of the early participating jurisdictions which included New York, Florida, Virginia, Oregon, and Arizona.

Created for use at the national level, several organizations currently participate in the iMapInvasives program, each representing a particular state or province (jurisdiction). The following list comprises the current iMapInvasives network and the /jurisdictions they represent:

•  Arizona Game and Fish Department  (AZ)
•  Maine Natural Areas Program  (ME)
•  New York Natural Heritage Program  (NY)
•  Oregon Biodiversity Information Center, Institute for Natural Resources, Portland State University  (OR)
•  Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program  (PA)
•  Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre  (SK)

Note: Currently, each host organization of a participating iMapInvasives jurisdiction is a member of the NatureServe network, though this is not a requirement in order to be a jurisdictional member of the iMapInvasives network.

Invasive species data can be mapped in any state or province in North America, even if a particular jurisdiction is not an active participant in the iMapInvasives network. However, please note that not all iMapInvasives functions will be available in a non-participating jurisdiction.

Each participating jurisdiction has the responsibility to manage the invasive species data reported in their state/province AND collaborate with registered users to ensure the proper use and understanding of the iMapInvasives program. For example, jurisdictional administrators will often host instructional webinars or other training events, create user documentation, and host jurisdiction-specific iMapInvasives websites, all in an effort to better communicate the tools and benefits available from iMapInvasives.

In Pennsylvania, the  PAiMapInvasives.org website  is available for registered users to visit for more information about our state-specific program.

The iMapInvasives program welcomes other states and provinces to join the network as participating jurisdictions. Learn more about how to join the network by visiting the " Become Part of the Network " page on  iMapInvasives.org .

Since 2018, iMapInvasives has been powered by  NatureServe , an organization that provides scientific information with the goal of streamlining effective conservation action.

The developers at NatureServe are constantly hard at work creating new functionality in iMapInvasives and fixing any bugs that get reported by the jurisdictional administrators. Recent developments by NatureServe have created tools in iMapInvasives such as the "Area Treated Report (which calculates the total treated area for species in a geographical area over a specified time frame), simplified the record confirmation process, and provided the ability to add other map layers directly in iMapInvasives for advanced viewing (and understanding) of invasive species data.

In Pennsylvania, the  Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program  is the NatureServe network program in charge of administering the iMapInvasives program. The purpose of the Heritage Program in Pennsylvania is to provide current, reliable, objective, ecological data and analysis to help guide conservation work and land-use planning.

The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) is a partnership between the  Western Pennsylvania Conservancy  and multiple state agencies: the  Department of Conservation and Natural Resources  (DCNR), the  Fish and Boat Commission  (PFBC), and the  Game Commission  (PGC). PNHP operates in cooperation with  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  (USFWS) and is a member of  NatureServe , the international network of heritage programs.

Preparations for starting the iMapInvasives program in Pennsylvania began in 2009 when the  Pennsylvania Invasive Species Management Plan  was first created by the  Governor's Invasive Species Council . One of the objectives listed in the Plan specified the need to "Develop a statewide invasive species database clearinghouse or information sharing system linking data from various state, federal, and non-governmental entities". Jeff Wagner, Director of the PNHP, thought that if PNHP became a jurisdictional member in the iMapInvasives program, this objective could be achieved over time.

Note: To date, a centralized invasive species clearinghouse has not yet been decided on for the state of Pennsylvania, though discussions are underway.

From 2008-2010, the  Mid-Atlantic Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species  provided "seed money" to the PNHP from the USFWS to begin the process of forming an iMapInvasives program in Pennsylvania. Later, in 2013, funding from the  Great Lakes Restoration Initiative  (GLRI) allowed PNHP to officially join the iMapInvasives network.

The Pennsylvania iMapInvasives program is currently funded through 2022 by grant money provided by from GLRI.

The Pennsylvania iMapInvasives program strives to engage with a broad and diverse audience of people in Pennsylvania who are actively involved and/or interested in invasive species efforts. We do this in a variety of ways:

• Quarterly newsletter: For five years, the Pennsylvania iMapInvasives program has created a  quarterly newsletter  highlighting people and events focused on invasive species issues, important findings, and control efforts. If you'd like to contribute a story to the Pennsylvania iMapInvasives newsletter,  please contact us .

• Be an Early Detector brochure: In 2017, staff from the iMapInvasives and Pennsylvania Natural Heritage programs created a brochure titled " Be an Early Detector: Protect Pennsylvania from these Emerging Invasive Species ". This brochure highlights 12 species considered to be either high priority or early detection species in Pennsylvania. The goal of creating this brochure was to raise awareness of these less-common species, and to encourage people to search for and report their findings of these and other invasive species to iMapInvasives.

• Unique training events: Staff from the Pennsylvania iMapInvasives program encourage use of the iMapInvasives online database and mobile app by hosting unique training events including the " Water Chestnut Chasers Challenge " and the " Invasive Species Scavenger Hunt ", among others. Each of these events encourage users to search for one or more specific invasive species and report their presence and absence findings to iMapInvasives. At the end of each month-long event, winners are awarded prizes as a way to reward users' efforts and to encourage future use of the online platform.

In addition to iMapInvasives, a few other online databases exist that also accept reports specifically for invasive species. Databases such as  EDDMapS  (Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System) and  USGS NAS  (United States Geological Survey: Nonindigenous Aquatic Species) each perform a similar function to iMapInvasives, but are slightly different from iMapInvasives.

Some of the main features in the iMapInvasives program that are not present in other platforms include:

• iMapInvasives is comprised of a network of participating jurisdictions, each with one or more administrators focused solely on the invasive species being reported in their state/province.
• Options to customize data querying and email alerts are extensive in iMapInvasives, compared to other databases.
• Administrators of participating iMapInvasives jurisdictions have close ties to natural resource professionals and engaged citizen scientists in their respective state/province. This relationship ensures that local efforts are getting state and national attention, and important information is being shared with key individuals.
• Administrators of participating iMapInvasives jurisdictions have a thorough understanding of the invasive species present in their state. They also know which species are considered high priority/early detection and share information on these species in various outreach formats.

Note: In addition to platforms that track invasive species, a variety of other online databases exist which track different (but specific) taxa such as birds ( eBird ), butterflies and moths ( Butterflies and Moths of North America ), and reptiles and amphibians ( Pennsylvania Amphibian & Reptile Survey ). Additionally, several databases track all taxa such as  iNaturalist ,  GBIF  (Global Biodiversity Information Facility), and  BISON  (Biodiversity Information Serving our Nation).

When you report your findings of invasive species to iMapInvasives, you are helping natural resource professionals, those in academia, and citizen scientists know where particular invasive species have been found in the state.

Information gathered in iMapInvasives is used in a variety of ways. For example, natural resource professionals can prioritize areas to survey for invasive species based on reports submitted in the database. Using modeling software, professors and their students can predict where an invasive species will be found in the future.

There are many other examples of how data from iMapInvasives is being utilized. Any data you contribute will be appreciated and beneficial to many different efforts!

All records entered into iMapInvasives (either through the mobile app or online) are automatically marked as "unconfirmed" upon submittal in the database. Photographs of observed species are reviewed by experts with proficiency in identifying specific plants, animals and/or insects. This QC process is coordinated by the Pennsylvania iMapInvasives administrator(s).

In addition to expert review, all unconfirmed records are checked for mapping accuracy to ensure that terrestrial species are mapped on land and aquatic species are mapped in water. Additionally, iMapInvasives administrators in Pennsylvania ensure that species mapped incorrectly (such as in a parking lot, on a road, or on top of a building) are marked as approximate to indicate the mapped location by the observer is not exact.

For certain high priority invasive species such as  spotted lanternfly  (Lycorma delicatula) or  Asian longhorned beetle  (Anoplophora glabripennis), reports can be submitted to iMapInvasives. Pennsylvania iMapInvasives administrators then ensure any reports for these species are immediately submitted to the appropriate regulatory agency.

For example, findings of spotted lanternfly anywhere in Pennsylvania are immediately reported to the  Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's online reporting tool . Additionally, any findings of Asian longhorned beetle (or evidence of its presence in an area) would immediately be reported to the  USDA APHIS's online reporting tool .

Note: No observations for Asian longhorned beetle have ever been reported to the Pennsylvania iMapInvasives database, and to date, Asian longhorned beetle is not known to exist in the state of Pennsylvania.

If you'd like to contribute or view data in the iMapInvasives online platform or the iMapInvasives mobile app, please request a registered user account.

Instructions:

1. Visit  iMapInvasives.org  or  PAiMapInvasives.org .
2. Click the Login button at the top of either page.
3. Sign up for a free iMapInvasives user account using the provided form.

Several data entry options exist to report findings of invasive species to iMapInvasives.

•  Presence  = What did you find?
•  Not-Detected  = What didn't you find?
•  Treatment  = What species did you control, and how?
•  Searched Area  = Where did you look?

• Point
• Line
• Polygon

Many registered users of iMapInvasives enjoy using the iMapInvasives mobile app to report findings of invasive species while outside, away from a computer. An internet connection isn't needed to create a data record using the mobile app, and creating a record takes only a few minutes to do.

To download and begin learn how to use the iMapInvasives mobile app, please review the "Mobile App" section of the ArcGIS storymap entitled " 2020 Water Chestnut Chasers Challenge " (located 2/3 of the way down in the storymap).

Using the mobile app, both presence and not-detected point data can be created. (Note: Treatment data and polygons cannot be created in the mobile app.)

Another option available to users who wish to contribute data to iMapInvasives is the online version of the platform, available by clicking the Login button from either  iMapInvasives.org  or  PAiMapInvasives.org .

All data types are able to be recorded using the online database including presence, not-detected, and treatment data. To learn how to submit your invasive species findings in iMapInvasives online, please review the "Online Database" section of the ArcGIS storymap entitled " 2020 Water Chestnut Chasers Challenge " (located 2/3 of the way down in the storymap).

Note: Other data entry options include bulk uploading your data (usually 500+ records) by sending it to the iMapInvasives administrator. Additionally, recent developments by NatureServe will soon allow users to record invasive species findings in iMapInvasives using  Esri's Survey123 program .

iMapInvasives provides the ability to create customized email alerts that allow users to be notified quickly when reports for certain species are reported to the database.

For example, a natural resource professional interested in knowing where  wavyleaf basketgrass  (Oplismenus undulatifolius) is reported in Pennsylvania can set up a custom email alert for this species. Or, the leader of the  Lake Erie Watershed Cooperative Weed Management Area  (LEW CWMA) who wants to know about any invasive species reported in his region can set up a custom email alert for species found in his CWMA.

The possibilities and customization of email alerts is broad and far-reaching, making this component of iMapInvasives incredibly useful to natural resource professionals and engaged citizen scientists.

Email alerts are currently being utilized by many active registered users of the Pennsylvania iMapInvasives program. To begin setting up email alerts in your iMapInvasives account, click on "Your Email Alerts" on the main map page of iMapInvasives after logging into the database.

Retrieving data from iMapInvasives is quick and easy. Simply use the tools provided in the database to create custom data filters, or group data together to view more easily. iMapInvasives also offers several different reports that aid users with an interest in data analysis.

Using the "Filter Records" tool, users can query multiple categories of data including Observer Name, Species, Habitat Type, Kingdom, Genus, Observation Date, Organization, Project, and Jurisdiction.

Users can also look up specific presence, not-detected, treatment, and searched area records by using the "Find Record" tool. It can also be used to measure the distance between different locations.

The "Identify/Measure" tool is a handy resource to view record details of a group of records on the map.

Confirmed information in the iMapInvasives platform is accessible and downloadable to anyone with a registered account. To download data, filter for the specific data you are interested in using the "Filter Records" tool, and then use the "Export/Report" option to download the data. This feature of the database allows information to be easily shared with others as compared to a more formal data request.

iMapInvasives also offers several reports that assist users in data analysis:

• Approaching Region
• Area Treated
• Infested Area
• Species List by Geography

For example, a natural resource manager working in Prince Gallitzin Park could use the "Approaching Region" report to learn of invasive species not presently found within the park, but that are located in a specified buffer surrounding the park. This information could assist park managers in knowing what invasive species to be looking for in case they would arrive in the park some day.

Story map created and maintained by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy/Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program.

Please contact  Amy Jewitt  (ajewitt@paconserve.org),  Kierstin Carlson  (kcarlson@paconserve.org), or  Mary Walsh  (mwalsh@paconserve.org) by email with questions or comments about this story map.

This storymap was used to present the " iMapInvasives Introduction and Training " webinar hosted by WPC/PNHP staff in conjunction with Penn State Extension on August 19, 2020.