Use of the Internet for Delivering Geospatial Data on Alien Forest Pests
Andrew Liebhold, Laura Blackburn, Eugene Luzader, Kurt Gottschalk
USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station
Alien forest pest species represent one of the most formidable challenges to forest ecosystem stability. As such, there is tremendous demand by forest managers, forest resource specialists, homeowners and the general public for information on the biology, management and impacts of these species. Over the last 8 years we have maintained a site on the World Wide Web that serves as a hypermedia clearinghouse for information on the gypsy moth in
Increasingly, users are demanding geospatial data on alien forest pest species. Both forest managers and homeowners are searching for information that details the location of invading populations in relation to their own holdings. We have developed a tool, “Alien Forest Pest Explorer” using Arc/IMS to provide a clearinghouse for geospatial on forest pest species. To date this site provides detailed map data on predicted and past spread, forest susceptibility and historical damage by three exotic forest pests: gypsy moth, beech bark disease and hemlock woolly adelgid. Despite our efforts, there remain many unfulfilled needs in delivering geospatial data on alien forest pest species. Some of these deficiencies are due to the lack of regimented survey data for specific organisms. Future efforts by the USDA to coordinate collection and management of survey data will greatly contribute to the delivery of more useful geospatial data to the public.
In August 2006 the site became available to the public at: http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/morgantown/4557/AFPE/
corresponding author:
Andrew Liebhold
USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station
180 Canfield Street
Morgantown, WV 26505
304-285-1512
aliebhold@fs.fed.us
Encyclopedia ID: p30
