Some experiences with alien plant mapping in Slovenia Mario Lešnik Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences University of Maribor, Slovenia
Mapping is one of the middle steps in process of ivasive plant management
Both types of activities are executed in Slovenia: Processing of data from literature (office activities on data editing – geocoding of literature data) Acquisition of data on terrain (field GPS surveys) Estimates about work already done during the last 10 years: Some 15 % of territory of Slovenia was scanned in detail More than 1000 alien plants species were registered Some 60 % of data about the locations of alien plants originating from period of last 50-70 years was incorporated in Atlas of flora of Slovenia (still under development and preparation for availability as digital version) According to some estimates there is some 400 to 600 alien species present on the territory of Slovenia that still were net processed by botanic experts and we do not have no literature sources about their existence
Type of mapping actions SLO (+ estimates on quantity of work done): Projects financed by different ministries or from EU budget, local municipalities, companies and others (some 25-30 projects in last 10 years, some 500 000 data about 4500 species processed during the last 15 years) Individual research work (researchers of institutes and faculties) (some 3000 publications in last 10 years) Student research work (thesis, summer school, camps, student training, …) (some 300 publications in last 10 years) Volunteer mapping in frame of activities of botanical societies Volunteer mapping in frame of interactive sites of ministries Mapping in frame of activities of different inspectorates of ministries Mapping according the data received from farmers facing problems at control of new weed species (visit of advisers at farms and sending of specimens of plants to Laboratory for invasive plants).
Do we have systematic state coordinated mapping and official guidance for mapping? Partially YES / Partially NO We have institute which main activity is mapping of plant and animal species of Slovenia ( Centre for Cartography of Fauna and Flora; http://www.ckff.si/?lang=en&pid=1&rid=0) We have some Slovenian guidance documents about mapping (Jogan N. et all, Manual for mapping of invasive plants ; http://www.tujerodne- vrste.info/projekti/projekt-thuja-2/Prirocnik-popisovanje-rastlin.pdf) We do not have systematic statewide surveys carried out periodically (like Hungary).
BOTANICAL SUMMER SCHOOLS
http://www.ckff.si/?lang=en&pid=1&rid=0
Jogan, N., M. Bačič & S. Strgulc Krajšek (uredniki), 2012: Neobiota Slovenije, končno poročilo projekta. Oddelek za biologijo BF UL, Ljubljana. 272 pp. Jogan, N. & I. Kos, 2012: POTI VNOSA, PRENOSA IN ŠIRJENJA TUJERODNIH VRST. V: N. Jogan, M. Bačič, S. Strgulc Krajšek ( eds.): Neobiota Slovenije, končno poročilo projekta. Oddelek za biologijo BF UL, Ljubljana. p. 31 -42.
Jogan, N., T. Bačič, B. Frajman , I. Leskovar, D. Naglič, A. Podobnik, B. Rozman, S. Strgulc- Krajšek, B. Trčak/N. Jogan (Ed.), 2001. Gradivo za atlas flore Slovenije [Materials for the atlas of flora of Slovenia]. Center za kartografijo favne in flore, Miklavž na Dravskem polju. 443 pp. [ISBN 961-90512-1-1] Distribution of plants is presented with 3192 maps, which are based on 471,722 observations at 237,199 localities. Data were mostly collected from publications and herbarium collections.
http://www.tujerodne-vrste.info/projekt/projekt-thuja-2/popisovanje-tujerodnih-rastlin/ SLOVENIAN MANUAL FOR MAPPING OF INVASIVE PLANTS
Manual for mapping
Do we have enough of well-educated experts and modern equipment? We have enough experts with high level of botanical expertise We have enough expert familiar with plant ecology and plant community ecology We have easy to access digital maps of territory of Slovenia (http://www.e-prostor.gov.si/ and ttp://www.geopedia.si/#T105_x456784_y134984_s11_b4 (ortofoto and other types of maps) Most experts have moderate knowledge on GIS operations We have sufficient technical support (all GIS related technical and software tools) Almost no, or very small activity in field of aerial-based or remote satellite sensing activity – some activity in forestry where species recognition alogarithms available)
VERY USEFUL TOOL
Usual considerations when planning invasive plant mapping: Resources available (financial, educated man power, GIS equipment, vehicles, …) Size of territory and topographic characteristic of territory Expected or needed accuracy of data (level of botanical determination, level of GIS precision, type of acquisition of GIS data, …) Type of data required (presence or absence of species, population density, …) Available time Establishing of monitoring points for future Usefulness of data for control measures against invasive plants Usefulness of data for estimates for modelling population dynamic and modelling of estimates of economic impacts Permit for trans passing of private property or restricted areas Safety measures when working on the transport areas or heavy terrain
The magic question – how to spend small amount of many and get accurate date for reasonable big territory? Low cost man power (students) All experts in one person GIS equipment that processes data on terrain and after data transferee maps are already finished without additional work (SCREEN DRAW OPTIONS, MOVEMENT TRACKING AND POLYGON ANALIYSIS, …) Very considered choice of macro- and micro-quadrants that will be checked Very detailed planning of scanning routes (direction of route, use of filed glass, …) Very detailed planning of probability of occurrence of certain species according to the environmental requirements and usual dispersal patterns (possibilities to exclude territory parts) Good cross coverage of different GIS layers (temperature regimes, soil types, salinity, plant communities, disturbance regimes, …)
Metodological aspects
Most often used in SLO (GRID AND SUB-QUADRANT, quadrants properties preedefined according to the risk gradients, occurence probability gradients) Mostly only presence or absence recorded without determining the size of population Most often scouting by foot or fallowing the transport infrastructure +- 20 m
Usually UTM 10 x 10 km quadrants (grid 310 cells) Universal Transverse Mercator; 1:10000 Refererence projection EU geodetic datum 1950
Recording template
Recording template
GOOD TO VISIT
Type of inventory an outcoms - guidence Theoretical background The following descriptions of exploratory, reconnaissance, extensive, and intensive inventories/surveys are summarized from Kuchler (1988) and Pokorny et al. (2006). There is a gradual change from exploratory to intensive inventories/surveys and it may not be necessary to define an effort as any one type. Exploratory Reconnaissance Extensive Intensive
Type of inventory Exploratory Reconnaissance When used When used little is known about the location and species of general abundance and/or distribution of invasive plants in large areas common invasive plant species are already known, and maps or data including basic existing knowledge is based mostly on casual information exist observations conducted periodically to detect new populations/patches; may be limited to areas considered to be most susceptible to new introductions Outcomes Outcomes search as many acres as possible in the least locate and record as many small amount of time and at the lowest possible cost, populations/patches of early-stage invaders as while providing basic information needed to possible to support early detection and rapid guide initial management efforts response elements of existing invasive plant management program create a basic invasive plant map indicating the species present, their general distribution, and more accurately define the perimeter of large relative abundance infestations and locate all isolated populations/patches discovered beyond the main infestation
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