Using ArcGIS to Prioritize

Invasive Plant Control

Jean Fujikawa (Operations Planner / Analyst)

Hawai‘i Pacific GIS Conference

March 5, 2012

Agenda

• OISC overview

– who we are

– our target species

– miconia model example

• Evaluating potential species for control

using ArcGIS

– OED survey and evaluation

– OISC delimiting surveys

The O‘ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) is a voluntary

partnership of private, governmental and non-profit organizations

and individuals united to prevent new invasive species infestations

on the island of O‘ahu, to eradicate incipient invasive species, and

to stop established invasive species from spreading.

Miconia

Miconia calvescens

Fountain

grass

Pennisetum setaceum

Himalayan

Blackberry

Rubus discolor

Coqui Frog

Eleutherodactylus coqui

Little Fire

Ant Wasmannia auropunctata

Beardgrass

Andropogon glomeratus

var. pumila

Cane

tibouchina

Tibouchina herbacea

Pampas

grass

Cortaderia spp.

Some of OISC’s target species

Model of miconia spreading across the

watersheds of O‘ahu in the absence of

systematic control efforts Plants

controlled

Model

year 10

Affected

Miconia in Tahiti Miconia model output -Mānoa

OED refers high threat / low

distribution species to OISC

• After road, nursery and reported species OED had list of 1797 species.

• Of the 1797 species 56 species were determined to be – present on the island but of low distribution,

– weedy,

– could be scored by the Hawai‘i Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (HPWRA)

• After doing full assessments of the 56 of 16 species were chosen which high practicality of control and high weediness scores

• OISC will delimit these 16 species and select which are feasible to eradicate

Species recommended for control

by OED (first round)

• Caesalpinia crista

• Chromolaena odorata

• Cordia alliodora

• Cryptostegia

grandiflora

• Delairea odorata

• Imperata cylindrica

• Melinis nerviglumis

• Nassella tenuissima

• Parkinsonia aculeata

• Pennisetum villosum

• Pereskia aculeata

• Piper aduncum

• Rauvolfia vomitoria

• Senna artemisioides ssp. filifolia

• Setaria sphacelata

• Suriana maritima

Species recommended for control

Caesalpinia

crista

Delairea

odorata

Cordia

alliodora

Chromolaena

odorata

Melinis

nerviglumis

Cryptostegia

grandiflora

Nassella

tenuissima

Imperata

cylindrica

Species recommended for control

Parkinsonia

aculeata

Rauvolfia

vomitoria

Pereskia

aculeata

Pennisetum

villosum

Setaria

sphacelata

Piper

aduncum

Suriana

maritima

Senna

artemisioides

ssp. filifolia

Distribution of

potential OISC

target species

200m

600m

Scour

No plants

found in

200m

=

Survey

good

habitat

Plants

found in

200m

or

600m good

habitat

survey

=

Scour

General survey decision process

General survey decision process

However, we need

permission from land

owners at each phase

of our surveys

• Hopefully they say

YES!

• If access cannot be

obtained, we document

our activity and move

the species lower on

our priority list

Tracking progress with ArcGIS

Potential species for control layout

Checking on buffers, terrain, roads,

trails and land ownership

•Pink: buffers, plant locations

•Orange: property boundaries

•Yellow: trails

•Blue: streams

•Gray: roads

•Brown: > 45 degree slope

•Background: 1ft imagery

Evaluated by OED Sites 200m

buffer

Survey

review

600m

buffer

Survey

review

Pop

extent

Caesalpinia crista 1 in prog.

Chromolaena odorata 2 in prog.

Cordia alliodora 3

Cryptostegia grandiflora 1

Delairea odorata 1 done cont. in prog. almost

Imperata cylindrica 2

Melinis nerviglumis 3 in prog. access / trt

Nassella tenuissima 3 in prog.

Parkinsonia aculeata

2 done

cont. done defined

Partial table for tracking our

delimiting survey progress

private property

left to survey

~20

plants

Caesalpinia

crista

Tantalus

200m

buffer

Tantalus

Pennisetum villosum

Aiea

200m buffer

Aiea

Kahala

Rauvolfia vomitoria and

Setaria sphacelata buffer overlap

Kāne‘ohe

Cryptostegia grandiflora - 200m buffer

~ 5-10 plants

per point

Kalaeloa

Model: Land ownership summary

• Buffer species points 200m and 600m

• Clip parcels

• Dissolve on landowner

• Result: number of different landowners, parcels per landowner, and acres

Summary

• Using ArcGIS throughout the evaluation process

• Standard format for dealing with each species at

each site, however, each situation is unique

• Early detection will prevent "the next miconia"

from happening

• If you’re are ever contacted by your local ISC for

permission to survey and control on your

property, please say YES!

Mahalo!

• Supervisor (Rachel Neville)

• Co-workers at OISC, OED

• All our volunteers, committee members, partners

and funders for their continuing support

Jean Fujikawa - jeanyf@hawaii.edu

OISC - http://www.oahuisc.org

HWRA - http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/daehler/wra/