Invasive Plant Atlas of the MidSouth (IPAMS)

PI: John Madsen Co-PI: Gary Ervin, Clifton Abbott, Victor Maddox, David Shaw, and John Byrd Collaborators: Randy Westbrooks, USGS NWRC, and Annie Simpson, USGS National Headquarters (NBII), and Les Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut (IPANE).

Introduction: An important component to a state and regional coordination of management efforts will be an accessible and up-to-date database of invasive species locations and actions to manage them, operated and managed at the regional level.

Task Description: The Invasive Plant Atlas of the MidSouth (IPAMS) is a web-accessible database identifying the locations of targeted invasive plants for the MidSouth region (AL, AR, LA, MS, and TN). This web-system is being developed in collaboration with national USGS and other agency databases and structures, and the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE, http://www.ipane.org/). Mechanisms and procedures to ensure data transmission both upward (nationally) and downward to the local level for rapid assessment and response are being built into the system. The Invasive Plant Atlas of the MidSouth is available at www.gri.msstate.edu/ipams.

This project is currently being funded by the USDA CSREES, National Research Initiative. We will integrate the USDA project with NBII efforts around the country, and produce a mapping and outreach program for early detection and rapid response to invasive plants in the MidSouth.

Summary of Objectives:

1. Develop web-accessible databases on the locations of key invasive plant species in AL, AR, LA, MS, and TN.