The Invasive Species Forecasting System
The NASA Office of Earth Science and the US Geological Survey are working together to develop a National Invasive Species Forecasting System for the early detection, remediation, management, and control of invasive species on Department of Interior and adjacent lands.
The forecasting system will provide a framework for using USGS's early detection and monitoring protocols and predictive models to process NASA and commercial data and create on-demand, regional-scale assessments of invasive species patterns and vulnerable habitats.
When fully implemented, the forecasting system will provide a dynamic and flexible mechanism for generating electronic and paper maps of hot spots for potential exotic species invasions.
Landsat image of Amistad Reservoir located on the Rio Grande River near Del Rio, Texas (December 7, 2000).
The water hyacinth is an aquatic weed native to South America. It has the capacity to grow and spread at astonishing rates, and in the wild it can clog the flow of rivers and waterways in days or weeks. The growth of hyacinths along the Rio Grande River in Texas is so dense in some places it is impeding the flow of water and making the river impassible.
General Information
The NBII Invasive Species Information Node is a central repository for information pertaining to the identification, description, management, and control of invasive species.
Invasivespecies.gov details the impacts of invasive species, provides profiles, and outlines the response of US Federal Government Agencies.
NASA Applications
NASA's Earth Science Enterprise Applications Program is partnering with public, private, and academic organizations to develop innovative decision support capabilities for invasive species management.
Cerro Grande Case Study
NASA and USGS scientists are using geostatistical models to predict the spread of invasive species at the site of the Cerro Grande wildfire, near Los Alamos, New Mexico.
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About the Project
A recent Earth Observing Magazine article describes the new NASA/USGS partnership to manage biological invasions.
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