CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 07/31/18

"Wild Spotter" will help citizen scientists and researchers track and stop spread of invasive species

By Clint Thompson

Thanks to a new app, citizen scientists can help researchers track and stop the spread of invasive species like feral pigs, Chinese privet, cogongrass and kudzu bugs by reporting and mapping sightings of these invasive species.

The University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and Wildlife Forever, a conservation nonprofit, to develop the smartphone app, called “Wild Spotter,” to identify and report invasive species in the remote wilderness and other natural areas across the 193-million-acre national forest system.

Wild Spotter was designed to help researchers map invasive species using a smartphone app, website and customized marketing campaign. The app will help the Forest Service target aquatic and terrestrial invasive species in wilderness areas and wild and scenic rivers.

The partnership initially focused on building a citizen-science base in 12 ecologically diverse national forests scattered from coast to coast. Ultimately, the project will grow to include all 174 national forests and grasslands, according to Chuck Bargeron, associate director of UGA’s invasive species and ecosystem health center, commonly known as Bugwood, in Tifton, Georgia.

“It is impossible for agencies like the U.S. Forest Service to monitor all of their lands. Reaching the public, who are in these specific areas across the country, is a solution to help find new infestations before they spread,” Bargeron said.

These infestations involve harmful exotic plants, animals, fish, invertebrates, pathogens and other species that invade different ecosystems each year. These invasions reduce biodiversity and productivity, weaken local economies, and impact human and animal health. 

The Wild Spotter program provides people with the tools they need to help locate, quantify, map and report these invasive species infestations.

“Invasive species cause economic and environmental damage to ecosystems across the world. Estimates have been as high as $120 billion a year in the United States,” Bargeron said. 

Citizen-scientist volunteers who download the Wild Spotter app and use the program can also identify and report unfamiliar species they find while they’re vacationing in America’s wild places. The data is verified by experts and made public through an invasive species database hosted by UGA.

“We are very proud that Wild Spotter is expanding citizen-science-volunteer capacity against invasive species by capitalizing on the outdoor activities of millions of people who are already enjoying some of the most beautiful places in America,” Bargeron said. “Like the idea of ‘see something, say something,’ the Wild Spotter program greatly enhances the early detection and rapid response capabilities of agencies like the U.S. Forest Service.”

To learn more about the Wild Spotter program, visit www.wildspotter.org. Learn more about the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at www.bugwood.org.

The Wild Spotter app is free and available in Apple and Android app stores.

Clint Thompson is an agriculture writer based in Tifton, Georgia.

Authors:
Clint Thompson
Experts/Sources:
Chuck Bargeron
Like these kudzu bugs overwintering in bark, invasive species can reduce biodiversity and productivity, weaken local economies, and impact human and animal health.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
Combining data collection and analysis with plant pathology, precision agriculture and robotics, the UGA team will build a photographic library of the foliar symptoms caused by onion diseases and other physiological disorders, feed them into the AI software, and use machine learning to identify the diseases based on pattern and color recognition from the images. CAES News
UGA uses AI, robotics to improve Georgia’s Vidalia sweet onion crop 10/23/24 Jordan Powers
A multidisciplinary team of UGA researchers aims to enhance the competitiveness of Vidalia onion growers in Georgia by providing them with the ability to confidently detect onion diseases early, enabling them to make management decisions on their crop at a critical time. These abilities, researchers say, should result in increased yield and quality of marketable onions and an overall increase in efficiency and productivity.
heavily infestedToH web CAES News
CAES combats invasive spotted lanternfly threatening U.S. farms and vineyards 09/24/24 Jordan Powers
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), an invasive insect pest that first arrived in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since spread to 16 additional states in the Eastern U.S., has state governments urging residents to be on the lookout and to use caution when moving firewood. The insect’s preference for feeding on the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) — another invasive species — has led to significant pest reservoirs, affecting vineyards and other agricultural sectors, including hardwoods and other ornamental and fruiting trees.
European paper wasp on nest. CAES News
Ouch! What just bit me? 08/08/24 Elmer Gray
As autumn approaches and the stifling heat of summer begins to cool down, spending more time outdoors may be on your radar. But, as Georgia is home to many stinging and biting insects, fall fun can turn into a minefield of discomfort. Elmer Gray, a research entomologist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and specialist for UGA Cooperative Extension, shares information on some of the season's most common culprits, urging residents to stay vigilant and take preventive measures.
The Asian tiger mosquito has been recognized among the world's top 100 worst invaders according to the Global Invasive Species Database. It has an aggressive daytime human-biting behavior and can vector many viruses, including dengue fever and West Nile virus. CAES News
Help prevent the spread of dengue fever 07/15/24 Elmer Gray
As overnight temperatures increase during the summer, so do mosquito populations, bringing with them the risk of mosquito-borne diseases. In late June, the Centers for Disease Control warned that the U.S. is seeing an increased risk of dengue fever, a sometimes fatal viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes. This disease has been across much of South and Central America and the Caribbean, and with about 1,500 cases, the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency over dengue.  
SilverleafWhitefly CAES News
CAES researchers secure $4 million to tackle silverleaf whitefly problem 01/11/24 Emily Cabrera
A multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences recently renewed a $4 million contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service to build upon their previous work to develop targeted interventions to mitigate the impact of silverleaf whiteflies on vegetable production in the Southeast. UGA entomologist Allen Moore leads the research team in collaboration with USDA ARS in Charleston, South Carolina.
Fig1 Cucurbit anthracnose web CAES News
CAES leads effort to tackle emerging threat to watermelon, cucumber production 12/07/23 Jordan Powers
Seven East Coast states harvested nearly 102,000 acres of watermelon and cucumber in 2019 and 2020, representing more than 62% ($410 million) and 45% ($180 million) of the U.S. production of the two crops, respectively. Growers of cucurbits — which include melons, pumpkin, squash and cucumbers — face numerous challenges in production, leading to decreased profitability and less produce on grocery shelves.