The Use of GIS and Remote Sensing in Invasive Species Management Raina Huebner NRS /1/09

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1 The Use of GIS and Remote Sensing in Invasive Species Management Raina Huebner NRS /1/09 GIS and remote sensing are used by a wide range of disciplines to help organize large amounts of data into information that can answer real world questions. Invasive species have become more prevalent in recent years as global warming, increasing international vectors, and the removal of natural barriers provide more species with greater access to non native lands and resources. The threat of invasive species can be profound by devastatingly impacting biodiversity, native species, and global and local economies. Managing invasive species is a difficult task; predicting new colony settlements, habitat range, their effect on other species, and most importantly, effective management techniques. GIS and remote sensing can aid in all of these aspects of managing invasive species. Mapping habitats that are currently colonized, mapping vector pathways, and predicting habitats that are suitable for future colonization all help direct the limited management resources to the most vulnerable habitats and identify successful management efforts. Knowing the parameters of non native species habitats can aid in predicting the spread of invasive species. Habitat parameters such as shade tolerance, water and soil chemistry, predator/prey abundance and proximity to wetlands are just a few important factors. After habitat parameters are identified, potential non native habitats can be targeted by pinpointing areas with similar characteristics in a GIS. Not only do these GIS maps provide valuable information about an area s make up, the maps can help predict where the spread of the species is likely to stop due to the lack of specific characteristics. Management efforts can be channeled to the most susceptible locations that are similar to the invasive species native habitats. Holcombe et al. (2007) used buildable models that outline the power of GIS in predicting future and current environmental parameters for the invasive cane toad (Bufo marinus). Using the Species Environmental Matching (SEM) model and 6 digit HUC, they were able to predict that the cane toad s primary habitat would be southern Florida. They were also able to show that the cane toad had already accessed every inch of this suitable habitat. The data used in this study was free to the public and obtained from government and environmental websites. Little ground work was performed, showing that a basic knowledge of a species habitat and the use of existing data can easily create a map that identifies potential habitat ranges. The key to mapping potential habitat ranges is knowing the specific habitat parameters for the invasive species. Reducing reaction time of management efforts is extremely important. Even with limited knowledge about the parameters and without all of the information available, management efforts can be implemented more rapidly. A second major management issue is containing species to specific areas and reducing spread or a second invasion post eradication efforts. Some invasive species are mobile, while others need help being transported from one location to another. Birds, deer, humans, water, and cars are all vectors that aid in transportation of immobile species. Predicting vectors and their pathways allow laws and management practices to be implemented to prevent unwanted species movement and protect areas that would normally be safe due to natural barriers. 1

2 Vander Zanden et al. (2008) performed a study on vector pathways and how they impacted invasion free areas. The movement of the vectors, which were recreational boats in this study, was tracked using a gravity model. It estimates boater movement between sites as a function of boat usage at individual sites and distance between sites. Vector pathways were identified by mapping the distance between lakes, ease of access to the lakes and population density around the lakes. These factors contribute greatly to the number of potential introductions and additional propagules to established colonies. The niche model was used to indicate the suitability of a specific site to an invader. GARP (genetic algorithm for rule set production) was used for the modeling. Combined, these three models aided in identifying potential vector pathways. Management practices can be implemented to reduce the spread of invasive species by using GIS to identifying how invasive species spread to areas through vectors. Remote sensing is also a valuable invasive species management tool. Eradication of a species is extremely difficult. There are a few methods of eradication, such as biocontrol and manual and chemical removal. Some methods or combinations of methods may work better than others. Remote sensing can first identify which areas are infested through spectral signatures of different species and high spatial resolution photographs. Different species react to control measures at different rates. Remote sensing can aid in identifying the success or failure of these methods and the rate at which they are being eradicated. When an invasive is identified and control measures are implemented, remote sensing can record the temporal changes over long periods of time. Being able to see a managed area over time by satellite or areal photograph will provide a broad picture of which method was most successful and aid in the identification of species that are claiming the new real estate. Remote sensing is a powerful tool for species identification in a canopy, but many invasive species live in the understory. Joshi et al. (2006) used Landsat EMT+ images to determine the forest canopy density and light intensity of an understory which effected the seed production of the invasive Chromolaena odorata. Chromolaena can only survive with in a specific range of light intensity. The intensity is controlled by the canopy of the forests dominant species. Grazing was found to disturb the dominant species, allowing more light in the understory which leads to additional Chromolaena seed production. By identifying specific environmental parameters of a species, the authors were able to identify areas of greatest seed production by using remote sensing. This can help management practices become tailored to the species and in this case, allow the canopy to grow by removing grazing from that area. By finding management practices that allow nature to do what it is intended, management costs and time can be greatly reduced. GIS and remote sensing are powerful tools in managing invasive species. GIS can aid in predicting potential habitats and habitat ranges by using niche models and SEMs. Identifying vectors and vector pathways to invasive free areas will help stop the spread of invasion by allowing preventative management practices to be implemented. Remote sensing can help in identifying species and successful eradication methods. A lot of the information for a GIS is readily accessible with a few clicks of a mouse, greatly reducing field work. Specific parameters will need to be identified for certain models and will require some field work. However, with the information already available basic maps can be produced and provide a starting point allowing management practices to be implemented faster. GIS and remote sensing are going to play a very large role in the future of invasive species management. They are both extremely 2

3 powerful and user friendly tools. The advancement of technology and the streamlining of data will also be integral to the application of GIS and remote sensing to invasive species management. Smart, cost effective and timely management practices are important to the identification and eradication of non native species and GIS and remote sensing will provide much needed support in successful practices. Literature Cited Holcombe, T., T. J. Stohlgren, C. Jarnevich Invasive Species Management and Research Using GIS. Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species: Proceedings of an International Symposium Joshi, C., J. D. Leeuw, J. van Andel, A.K. Skidmore, H.D Lekhak, I.C. vanduren, N. Norbu Indirect Remote Sensing of a Cryptic Forest Understory Invasive Species. Forest Ecology and Management. 225: Vander Zanden, M. J., J. D. Olden A Management Framework for Preventing the Secondary Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 65 no 7 J

4 Annotated Bibliography Haltch, M. A., P. A. Berkman, D. W. Garton Geographic Information System (GIS) Analysis of Ecosystem Invasion: Exotic Mussels in Lake Erie. Limnology and Oceanography. 45(8): Invasive species can be tracked by what type of habitat they reside in. This study linked the sediment type of Lake Erie to the distribution and abundance of the invasive mussel Dreissena. Sonar, SCUBA and ROV s were used to identify the benthic sediment types which were categorized by particle size. This information was overlaid with bathymetry contour data available through NOAA and the Canadian Hydrographic Service. Overlaying the data revealed the distribution of sediment types at different depths over the study areas. The authors were able to confirm that the mussels were actually changing soft sediment into hard sediment through colonization and that they are spreading exponentially. The key to this study was the use of GIS and remote sensing. The authors were allowed to record data without disturbing with the mussel beds while identifying benthic sediment characteristics of Lake Erie. Overlaying the bathymetry contour data with the sediment data created a powerful map that allowed the authors to identify which areas were invaded and why. Holcombe, T., T. J. Stohlgren, C. Jarnevich Invasive Species Management and Research Using GIS. Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species: Proceedings of an International Symposium Holcombe et al. show how the basic tools of GIS can make a huge impact on research. The authors described several applications and tools of GIS including buffers and theissen polygons, storing field data as points, lines or polygons, using Digital Elevation Models (DEM) for environmental information and outlined useful model types such as Species Environmental Matching (SEM). With little ground research, the authors were able to produce maps of potential habitats of the invasive cane toad (Bufo marinus) and show that the cane toad s habitat spanned a short distance and was already taken over by the aquatic vertebrate. The information used in the project was free and readily available through government and environmental websites. This shows that the basic information needed to do a simple study is available to the public and the data is also relevant to real world issues. Joshi, C., J. D. Leeuw, J. van Andel, A. K. Skidmore, H. D. Lekhak, I. C. vanduren, N. Norbu Indirect Remote Sensing of a Cryptic Forest Understory Invasive Species. Forest Ecology and Management. 225: This paper shows how using remote sensing can be used on plant species that do not possess large canopies and are hidden under the canopies of other species. These are typically difficult to see with remote sensing. The limitations of remotes sensing were highlighted, however, the authors used the limitations to their advantage. Using specific habitat parameters of an invasive, the authors were able to identify areas that would allow for greatest seed dispersal due to light intensity. This paper showed that even though there are limitations to an application, there are ways around it. The paper was well presented and very insightful. 4

5 Miller, R. J., A. D. Carroll, T. P. Wilson, J. Shaw Spatiotemporal Analysis of Three Common Wetland Invasive Plan Species Using Herbarium Specimens and Geographic Information Systems. CASTANEA. 74(2): Historical data is the back bone of invasive species management. Knowing when and where a species was introduced can help determine how quickly the species can spread and how common or rare it is in an area. This paper showed that there was a lack of historical data bases and cohesiveness of data management while showing intuition in tracking the spread of invasive species through the use of historical data and new technology. Miller et al. applied the long time practice of herbariums to GIS to show the spreading ranges of three common invasive species. The authors tracked down herbariums as far back as 1888 and mapped the collection sites in GIS. Using georeferenced and coordinate data along with the date of the collection from 3,202 herbariums, the rate of spread of Phragmites australis, Lythrum salicaria and Rorippa nasturtium aquaticum were tracked. Vague collection locations were narrowed down using Google Earth by locating identifiable land marks and places that were in close proximity to cities or universities. Buffers were added around the earliest specimens to account for lag time in the spread of each species. The authors also used the Create Vector Grid Tool to overlay all records into one map. The Kernel Density tool combined with natural breaks (Jenks) was used to estimate the probability of finding a specific non native species within an area with known locations. The issues the authors encountered were the scale and range in which the studied invasive species occurred and the herbarium records and sampling bias of the collects varied greatly. This paper also highlights the lack of a cohesive organized historical data that can be easily put into a GIS. Historical data is important for future knowledge of species and is a great management tool. Selsky, R, G. J. Bugbee, J. C. White Using GIS to Map Invasive Aquatic Plants in Connecticut Lakes. ESRI User Conference Proceedings, San Diego, CA. The primary objective of Selsky et al. was to show how GIS will play a large part in future management practice of invasive aquatic plant species. Aspects that affect aquatic plant invasions include water chemistry, land use and sediment type. All of these aspects can be tracked and overlaid in a GIS to monitor change and trends for specific species during different seasons. This will help quantify the threat of species in a particular region or location. The management efforts of the study were also tracked and labeled as points in GIS. Herbicide applications and test sites were recorded so the authors could return to the exact same spot for monitoring. GIS allows researchers to be accurate in data collection and in identifying potential areas of invasion. Spens, J., G. Englund, H. Lundqvist Network Connectivity and Dispersal Barriers: Using Geographical Information System (GIS) Tools to Predict Landscape Scale Distribution of a Key Predator (Esox lucius) Among Lakes. Journal of Applied Ecology Predicting connectivity of habitats is an important practice in the management of invasive species. The authors of this paper used topographical maps to predict the presence or absence of a key stone predator (pike) by using the connectivity of lakes and to see if a finer resolution topographical map would provide more accurate data than a high resolution map. 5

6 An upstream connectivity (UC) model was created. It was based on the minimum distance found between 5 m elevation intervals (slope) along watercourses from the nearest potential downstream sources of pike. The outcome of this paper showed that the slope and barriers of connecting water ways was easier to see using higher resolution maps and the presence/absence of the predator was highly predictable using the UC model. The UC model can be applied to management practices in large or small areas for the eradication of species and the potential for natural recovery due to connectivity to other populations. Identifying natural barriers that prevent the spread of an invasive species in water ways, including inlets, outlets, and drainage ways, can aid management practices in reducing costs by using nature against nature. This paper had a plethora of information and at times was difficult to understand. The novice GIS/ remote sensing user may not comprehend all of the study details, but the paper provided valuable information about the applications of remote sensing, resolution and GIS. Vander Zanden, M. J, J. D. Olden A Management Framework for Preventing the Secondary Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 65No7 J1: The authors believe that the three most important factors of invasion are 1) arrival of propagules, 2) the establishment of surviving propagules, and 3) the ecological and economic impacts of the invasion. GIS was used to visualize the vulnerability of the ecosystem and to predict and prevent secondary invasions of the Great Lakes. The paper provided sound theory and research. However, it seemed that in order to use the models (Niche modeling, GARP, gravity model and diffusion model) a lot of on the ground research must be done before hand. To model a niche, the biological, physical and chemical attributes of the invasive species habitat must be known. The same properties must also be known of the surrounding areas to be able to predict if they are or are not potentially suitable for the invasive. The diffusion model did not provide site specific information, but only broad area information. Additional research would be needed to acquire the required data. With that said, the outcome of the study showed that only a few regional areas could become infested with aquatic invasive species. This information can direct any eradication or prevention efforts to those spots instead of areas that efforts would not yield the greatest benefit. 6

GIS/RS Applications in Invasive Species Management and Tracking

Correna Blewett NRS 509 Term Paper 1 December 2012 GIS/RS Applications in Invasive Species Management and Tracking In his 1993 paper, DM Lodge opens with Anthropogenic introduction of species is homogenizing