Plant Distribution Update Module: An APHIS and NRCS Partnership

For the past several years, the NRCS National Plant Data Center and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Center for Plant Health Science Technology's Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory have collaborated to improve the distributional data on the PLANTS Database making it more useful for risk analysis. One of the major projects in this effort is the development of an online  Distribution Update (DU) module for the submission of new State and county plant distribution data.

One particular goal of this module is to speed the input and subsequent dissemination of distributional information about weeds, especially those that are spreading rapidly and/or are poorly known. For example, the DU could shorten the interval between the submission reporting and the weed spreading time across the U.S. for species like Salvinia molesta, giant salvinia.  The PLANTS Database is considered a resource for Federal and State agencies to learn of new plants to the U.S. or a particular State or track records/reports over time.  PLANTS fits into the early detection and rapid response systems proposed by the Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds.

Module submissions must be documented by a voucher collection deposited at a recognized herbarium, published literature, or observation to be included in PLANTS. Default PLANTS distribution will continue to be based upon specimens that can be verified to assure reliability. Go to the PLANTS Web site to access the Distribution Update Module.
Your contact is Rebecca Noricks, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 225-775-6280 ext. 10.