Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States

Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States
Name	Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States
Established	2000s
Focus	invasive plants, distribution mapping, ecological monitoring
Jurisdiction	United States

Contents

Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States is a national online resource cataloging non-native plants that have established populations in the United States. The project aggregates occurrence records, identification tools, and distribution maps to support land managers, researchers, and policymakers from agencies such as the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Geological Survey, the National Park Service, and the Smithsonian Institution. It interoperates with international initiatives including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and regional programs like the European Alien Species Information Network and the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas.

Overview

The atlas compiles georeferenced records, high-resolution images, and taxonomic treatments for vascular plants across continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and associated territories, linking specimen data from institutions such as the New York Botanical Garden, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian Institution, and university herbaria at Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Michigan. It integrates mapping and query interfaces similar to services provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the United States Forest Service, while aligning nomenclature with authorities such as the International Plant Names Index, the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, and the Catalog of Life.

Origins trace to collaborations among academic centers like the University of Georgia, federal programs at the United States Department of Agriculture, and conservation NGOs including the Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Society, building on earlier regional atlases and invasive species lists developed by the Invasive Species Specialist Group and state departments such as the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Key milestones involved data-sharing agreements with the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG), deployment of online mapping tools influenced by the Atlas of Living Australia and the National Biodiversity Network of the United Kingdom, and funding or technical support from foundations like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

The atlas ingests observational records from sources including herbaria at New York Botanical Garden, citizen-science platforms like iNaturalist and the eBird model for reporting, agency surveys by the United States Geological Survey and the National Park Service, and curated lists from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and state natural heritage programs such as NatureServe. Taxonomic vetting references standards from International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants and collections data from museums like the Field Museum and the California Academy of Sciences. Georeferencing protocols follow guidelines similar to those promulgated by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the Botanical Society of America, with quality control workflows drawing on practices used by the Smithsonian Institution and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The technical architecture uses relational and spatial databases compatible with systems developed at institutions like the United States Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with web services modeled on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility API and mapping clients akin to those from the Esri platform. User tools include species distribution maps, point occurrence viewers, image galleries, and downloadable datasets that echo functionality from the Atlas of Living Australia, the European Space Agency’s data portals, and university projects at Cornell University and the University of Florida. Metadata standards align with protocols from the Dublin Core initiative and the Ecological Metadata Language used by research programs such as the Long Term Ecological Research Network.

Practitioners use the atlas for early detection and rapid response planning coordinated with agencies like the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, restoration design for lands managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management, risk assessments informing the Convention on Biological Diversity reporting and state invasive species regulations such as those enacted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the California Invasive Plant Council. Researchers from institutions like University of California, Davis, Michigan State University, and Colorado State University apply its data in studies on range expansion, climate-change–driven shifts referenced to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios, and impacts on ecosystems studied by the Ecological Society of America.

Stewardship involves partnerships among federal agencies including the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Geological Survey, academic partners at University of Georgia and University of Florida, and NGOs such as the Nature Conservancy and the Sierra Club. Data-sharing and interoperability rely on collaborations with international bodies like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and standards organizations such as Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG), with funding and technical contributions from entities including the National Science Foundation and philanthropic organizations historically engaged with biodiversity informatics like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The atlas has supported invasive-species management, informed regulatory lists maintained by the United States Department of Agriculture and litigation or policy debates involving state agencies like the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and advocacy groups such as the Center for Biological Diversity. Controversies have arisen over data sensitivity and access restrictions in contexts similar to disputes involving the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, disagreements about definitions used by the Invasive Species Specialist Group, and tensions between agricultural stakeholders represented by organizations like the American Farm Bureau Federation and conservationists from the The Nature Conservancy and Sierra Club.

Category:Invasive plant databases Category:Biodiversity databases Category:United States environmental organizations