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Introduction

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Non-native plants have invaded much of the Sonoran Desert, threatening native plants and wildlife. At the Barry M. Goldwater Range-West (BMGR-W), on lands managed by the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (MCASY), managers are working with partners to detect, map, monitor, and treat invasive Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii) and buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare). To improve efficiency and effectiveness, MCASY has adopted a process that uses a weather-monitoring network, a web-based program called , and a cloud-based mapping app called GIS Cloud. These tools are helping the team prioritize and document their activities in-the-field.

Key Issues Addressed

Sahara mustard and buffelgrass are drought-tolerant plants from Africa and Eurasia that spread easily in the Sonoran Desert, outcompeting native plants for resources. Buffelgrass, and Sahara mustard to a lesser degree, increases fire frequency and size. The Sonoran Desert vegetation that occurs at BMGR-W includes some species that are relatively rare or limited in distribution, such as elephant tree (Bursera microphylla), sand food (Pholisma sonorae), and blue sand lily (Triteleiopsis palmeri). These and other Sonoran Desert species have evolved in an environment where fires are rare and very small. Sahara mustard and buffelgrass convert bare ground to carpets of fine fuels between cacti and shrubs. The increased cover crowds out native plants, eliminates habit for wildlife, and results in flammable conditions that favor fast-moving fires. Resulting fires not only kill cacti and other native plants, but also threaten military infrastructure. 

BMGR-W covers nearly 700,000 acres in southwestern Arizona. This makes it difficult to effectively monitor and treat plant populations that are constantly moving, changing, and spreading. To address these challenges, MCASY uses new tools and a collaborative approach that leverage the expertise of its partners, University of Arizona (UA) and the National Park Service’s Lake Mead Exotic Plant Management Team (NPS). 

Project Goals

• Increase efficiency and effectiveness of field operations to monitor and control buffelgrass and Sahara mustard over a large area

Project Highlights

The Sky’s the Limit: The useful simplicity of GIS Cloud allowed the team to collect a very high number (1,750) of data points during the winter of 2016-2017. 

• Weather-Monitoring Network: MCASY hosts five weather stations at BMGR-W that are integrated into a regional weather-monitoring network that includes stations hosted by neighboring federal agencies. The team uses the network to track rainfall patterns across the landscape and identify areas where the subsequent germination and growth of non-native plants are likely.   
• DroughtView: To assess conditions in the field, the team uses a web-based remote sensing tool called  that was developed at UA. DroughtView displays satellite data (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS) as maps showing levels of surface greenness across the landscape that are typically indicators of vegetation growth (i.e. photosynthesis). The team uses it to identify areas where non-native species may be growing.
• GIS Cloud: Using this Cloud-based mapping app, the team collects field data on iPhones using dropdown menus. With standard phone service, data can be uploaded onto the GIS Cloud website and then viewed by all partners. Each data point can include photos, audio, or notes. UA manages the cell phone technology, and manages and interprets data. 
• Control of Invasives: NPS implements control treatments, which may include manual removal or herbicide. With input from the team, NPS plans and implements control using the data in GIS Cloud. UA monitors effectiveness and their research helps inform adaptive management.

Lessons Learned

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Using DroughtView saves the team time, money, and effort. It allows them to plan and prioritize control efforts before sending anyone into the field.

Conservation Law Enforcement Officers (CLEO’s) are out patrolling BMGR-W 7 days a week. Using GIS Cloud, CLEO’s can collect and transmit data on infestations in a few seconds while they are working on their primary duties. CLEO’s have contributed large amounts of data to the project. They help with ground-truthing and are often find new infestations.

The large dataset from GIS Cloud provides NPS with the information they need to implement a focused and timely control effort. Mapping infestations allows specific areas to be targeted for treatment and monitored from year to year.

The success the team has had with monitoring and controlling Sahara mustard and buffelgrass using GIS Cloud has inspired agencies nearby, in the United States (Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge) and Mexico (El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve), to adopt it for their own use. This should help minimize the spread of these species onto BMGR-W from populations on neighboring lands, and maximize the effectiveness of their control efforts.

The combination of vegetation and weather monitoring has allowed the team to learn about Sahara mustard and buffelgrass ecology. Establishment of Sahara mustard and buffelgrass is closely tied to rainfall. Both species will geminate regardless of the time of year, and shortly after rainfall occurs.

Next Steps

• Continue monitoring, mapping, and control efforts on BMGR-W lands
• Update communication abilities of weather station network to allow for better monitoring and tracking of precipitation events
• Work with neighboring land managers to coordinate more effective weed management region-wide

Funding Partners

Resources

Contacts

• Randy English, US Marine Corps: [email protected]
• Jim Malusa, Research Scientist, University of Arizona: [email protected]

Case Study Lead Author

Amanda Webb, CART Research Specialist, University of Arizona

Suggested Citation

Webb, A., D. (2019). “Using a Mobile App and Remote Sensing to Map Monitor and Control Invasive Plants.â€� CART. Retrieved from /project/mobile-app-and-remote-sensing-invasives.