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Invasive Species and the National Parks Citizen Scientists Contributing Data and Affecting Change - The nationwide database One of the key pedagogical goals of Aliens In Your Neighborhood is to provide students with the opportunities to make contributions to their community, their National Parks, and to science. When learning is contextual, i.e., when learning takes place within the realm of issues which affect the students themselves, then learning takes on meaning that is relevant to their lives. It was stated in the introduction that Aliens In Your Neighborhood would provide a model for integrating a theme within a school's curriculum at multiple grade levels and subjects. That "theme" is invasive weed species, but the curriculum is still about life science, in particular, botany and ecology. By integrating the theme of invasive species students are not only involved with the curriculum currently established and aligned with state and national standards but have the opportunity to learn to those subjects in their own community with real life issues. Studies have shown that when students' learning is contextual and relevant the level of interest is increased because the subjects being taught have real meaning, and answer that dreaded question, "Why do I have to learn this?" With students who are engaged in their own meaningful learning, negative classroom management issues are minimized, parental and community involvement is easier to solicit and academic performance is enhanced (i.e., grades go up). After reviewing the selection of Alien lessons and activities intended to be integrated with you regular curriculum, you will find various suggestions on how to have your students become citizen scientists - contributing their new found knowledge to the scientific community and their own. These contributions may range from establishing education awareness programs in their own school or on a community wide basis to the ultimate expression of being a citizen scientist by contributing solid scientific data to resource and land managers or scientific mapping projects and even working hand in hand with field managers in the control of invasive weed species. One of the most popular methods for
students to contribute real data is through programs like NatureMapping,
where students upload specific field site data so that scientists can use the
data in the study of ecosystems or specific species. NatureMapping is
evolving to be a state by state database. The Aliens website currently
links students in (the following sites open new windows, press your back button to return) · One of the primary goals of the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program is to make existing and new natural resource information more available and useful to park managers, scientists, and educators for planning, management, research and education. The I&M Program is coordinating the development of an integrated set of modern GIS and database tools and an overall framework for organizing, storing, displaying, and analyzing natural resource information. The Product Specifications document being developed presents an overview of these tools and technical specifications for products developed by NPS staff, cooperators and contractors for work funded by the I&M Program. The specifications presented here are a "work in progress", and the most recent version of this document and updates on the development of the information management tools being developed by the NPS can be found at this website. As a result of the I&M Program a new website (2003) is up and running! http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/monitor/invasives.htm The site includes very useful information that should assist in the process of developing invasive species protocols, justification statements, SOPs, and management programs. Included are examples of guidelines and protocols being used by NPS staffs as well as other agencies and organizations. The examples range from detailed descriptions of random and systematic sampling procedures to effective volunteer and opportunistic programs. Other links (conferences, statistics, databases) are included for your benefit and are by no means exhaustive. Invasivespecies.gov is by far the most comprehensive website for a wide array of invasive species information. · The National Gap Analysis Program is a scientific method for identifying the degree to which native animal species and natural communities are represented in our present-day mix of conservation lands. Those species and communities not adequately represented in the existing network of conservation lands constitute conservation "gaps." The purpose of the Gap Analysis Program (GAP) is to provide broad geographic information on the status of ordinary species (those not threatened with extinction or naturally rare) and their habitats in order to provide land managers, planners, scientists, and policy makers with the information they need to make better-informed decisions. ·
The USGS-NPS
Vegetation Mapping Program is a cooperative effort by the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service (NPS) to classify, describe, and
map vegetation communities in more than 270 national park units across the · The Alien Plants Ranking System (APRS) is a computer-implemented system to help land managers make difficult decisions concerning invasive nonnative plants. The management of invasive plants is difficult, expensive, and requires a long-term commitment. Therefore, land managers must focus their limited resources, targeting the species that cause major impacts or threats to resources within their management, or the species that impede attainment of management goals. APRS provides an analytical tool to separate the innocuous species from the invasive ones (typically around 10% of the nonnative species). APRS not only helps identify those species that currently impact a site, but also those that have a high potential do so in the future. Finally, the system addresses the feasibility of control of each species, enabling the manager to weigh the costs of control against the level of impact. ·
The U.S.D.A. National PLANTS Database provides standardized
information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and
lichens of the ·
In ·
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Weed Collection Standards The Nevada Invasive Plant GIS (based on Other Related Links Weed Gallery - http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/weeds_common.html The Center for Invasive Plant Management (includes some images) - http://www.weedcenter.org The North American Weed Management Association (NAWMA) (scroll down on the left side and click on Position Papers for an excellent collection of reports (in .pdf format) on rapid response, biological control and invasive weed programs) - http://www.nawma.org/
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