Article by: Kurt Knebusch October 15, 2012
Summary:
Ohio State University has created a new app known as the Great Lakes Early Detection App to help track and control invasive species. This app allows people to take a picture of a suspected invasive species. These pictures are used to create maps showing scientists where the invasive species are spreading. Because the scientists now know where these plants are, they can track and control these plants. This app is not limited to plants. You can also use it to track fish, insects, mammals, mollusks, crustaceans and plant diseases. As of now the app is available on android phones, and is coming soon for iphones. The App covers areas in Ohio, New York, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.
Relevance:
During the Ecosystems unit we learned about invasive plant species and their effect on the native species around them. This article shows how early detection of the invasive species is important to keep them controlled. By using this app people can help to control invasive species and to save the native species around them.
http://extension.osu.edu/news-releases/archives/2012/october/new-app-detects-tracks-invasive-species-in-great-lakes-region
Source: Ohio State University Extention
How can scientist be sure that a species is invasive just by a photo?
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are sent to scientists so that they can further observe the plants and then determine if the plant species are invasive. The pictures are usually used more to determine the location of species that have already been categorized as invasive to see where they are spreading, and to predict further spreading than to find new invasive species.
DeleteAre there any specific plant species or organisms that are too difficult to identify solely based on a picture?
ReplyDeleteyes, there are many species that look similar to native species, such as the Norway Maple looks similar to the Sugar Maple, but the app is helpful because it gives the location of the picture so if scientists aren't completely sure of the species, they can go to the location and see the species.
DeleteHere is a link to a compete list of commonly mistaken Invasive vs. Native species:
http://www.nybg.org/files/scientists/rnaczi/Mistaken_Identity_Final.pdf