GIS in the Driver's Seat: Spatial-Driven Invasive Species Management Strategies

John Chapman
Keren Gundersen
Kauai Invasive Species Committee, Kapaa, HI

Invasive Species Management
Monday March 5, 2012 - 1:30 to 2:45 pm

Hawaii has one-third of the endangered species in the United States, and invasive species pose the greatest threats driving these and other native species toward extinction. At the same time, invasive species pose huge threats to Hawaii’s watersheds and water resources, tourism-based economy, agriculture, health, and general quality of life.

Kauai Invasive Species Committee (KISC) is a partnership of government, private and non-profit organizations working to eliminate or control the most threatening invasive plant and animal species in order to preserve Kauai’s native bio-diversity and minimize adverse ecological, economic and social impacts. KISC has developed adaptive management strategies to control targeted pests. By driving these management plans using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), strategies can be quickly analyzed and modified to assure efficiency in the dynamic world of invasive species control.

There are many factors that go into managing invasive species; reproductive rates, time of flowering, seed longevity, methods of spread, rainfall, terrain, elevation, survey type (ex. aerial vs. ground), effectiveness of control, and more. These factors can all be analyzed using GIS to determine suitable habitat, determine management units, schedule re-visitation and treatments, prioritize surveys, evaluate effectiveness of field operations, and predict unmitigated spread. Also, by utilizing mobile GIS in the field we are collecting more accurate data while making better informed decisions on the ground.

GIS technology is the perfect tool in driving invasive species management strategies. By leveraging GIS we are ensuring our effectiveness in the protection of our vital resources from the invasion of invasive species.