[APWG] Tamarisk national-scale mapping & analysis
Olivia Kwong
plant at plantconservation.org
Tue Feb 28 15:33:32 CST 2006
New Study Provides National-scale Maps of Tamarisk
Washington, D.C., February 23, 2006 .The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) and
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have developed an
Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) which utilizes USGS field data
and NASA.s satellite applications to map habitat suitable for tamarisk
(Tamarix spp., salt cedar). Tamarisk is an invasive plant found
throughout the western United States. This national-scale mapping and
analysis tool will aid in the management, monitoring, and prediction of
tamarisk spread, and could be used in the future to track other invasive
species like cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and yellow starthistle
(Centaurea solstitialis).
The ISFS approach combines NASA satellite-acquired data with land-based
data from 40 datasets containing over 32,000 points, and builds upon work
done by USDA Agricultural Research Service researchers and others.
According to Tom Stohlgren of the USGS, data were used to analyze past
spread rates, current distributions, and predict future patterns. The
information is presented in color-coded maps which can be used by land
managers, decision makers, and others.
In 2004, the National Invasive Species Council (NISC) co-sponsored a
conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico that launched .Team Tamarisk..
Stakeholders at the conference called for improved mapping technologies to
monitor and analyze tamarisk infestations. This work is a significant
step forward in meeting that need identified by Team Tamarisk. In
addition, it is an important component of Secretary of the Interior and
Co-Chair of NISC Gale Norton.s 4 C.s. .Conservation through communication,
consultation and cooperation..
The work of NISC member departments and agencies has greatly expanded the
.conservation tools. that support the Cooperative Conservation Initiative
(CCI) and other programs. The CCI encourages the removal of barriers to
citizen participation in the conservation and leadership initiatives at
the local level. Projects funded include those that restore or conserve
natural resources (i.e., wetlands, streams, and other habitat).
This work was reported in a recent scientific publication (Jeffrey T.
Morisette, Catherine S. Jarnevitch, Asad Ulah, Weijie Cai, Jeffery A.
Pedelty, James E. Gentle, Thomas J. Stohlgren, and John L. Schnase. 2006.
A tamarisk habitat suitability map for the continental United States.
Front Ecol Environ. 4(1): 11-17.) It was also featured in a February 15,
2006 Department of the Interior Press Release (New Invasive Species
Forecasting System Uses NASA, USGS Technology).
For Press Release information please contact Frank Quimby at (202)
208-7291. For more information concerning the ISFS please visit
http://bp.gsfc.nasa.gov/ or contact Tom Stohlgren at
tom_stohlgren at usgs.gov. For information about NISC please contact Lori
Williams at Lori_Williams at ios.doi.gov.
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