Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do?
Answer: The simplest thing anybody can do to help fight invasive species is to not plant, transmit, spread or release an invasive species.
How do I enter data into EDDMapS?
Walk throughs on how to enter data via the website or smartphone apps are available on our Tools & Training page
Why do I have to create an account to enter data into EDDMapS?
Answer: All data entered into EDDMapS is checked by a local or state expert to verify that the data is accurate. The person verifying information needs to be able to contact the person who submitted the information if they have any questions, need more information about the record, or need additional images to review the record.
I forgot my account sign in and password. How do I find it?
Answer: Go to the sign in page and click on Forgot password? An email will be sent to the address you provide with instructions on how to reset your password.
I changed my email account or I want to use a different email account for EDDMapS. How do I do that?
Answer: Click on the person icon or you name in the top right corner of the page. Click on My Profile. Click on Edit Profile at the top right, this will open a new tab to Connect. Click on Profile in the black sidebar on the left. Change your email address and click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
I am trying to enter information and I keep getting an error message. What do I do?
Answer: One of the most common errors is missing required information with your record. All records must have data filled in for Species, Observation Date, Location, and Reporter. If you have any questions about any of the field, hover your cursor over the little question mark beside the field name for information about that field.
How do I decide if the patch type is point, linear or polygon?
Answer: Linear is easy. Invasive plants following a road, river, creek or fence line would be a linear patch. Point usually means one individual or a small patch. One chinaberry tree or one python would be a point. A small patch of a bunch grass like cogongrass would be a point. Polygon covers everything else. A polygon is a shape with three or more sides. So, a long boat dock with zebra mussels or a field with patches of cogongrass scattered over it, would be a polygon.
Infested Area and Gross Area are confusing, what is the difference?
Answer: Gross Area is the entire area surveyed for an invasive species, and infested area is the actual or estimated area within the surveyed area covered. For instance, you are looking at a field and there are three big patches of Chinese privet in the field. They don't cover the whole field, just part of it. The whole field is an acre of land. So the whole field is the gross area, in this case one acre. The privet is in three big patches scattered around the field. If you clumped them all together they would cover about a third of the field or .33 acres, this would be the infested area. There are methods for getting exact measurements for these areas, but we just need your best estimate. An acre is about 43,560 square feet. A football field is about 48,000 square feet (without end zones). Use things you are familiar with to help you judge the size of an infestation.
Why is the size and percent cover/density of the infestation important?
Answer: Many different people will look at the data you provide. A researcher may need to know which plant species have been found in an area. Land managers will need to know where a certain plant species was found and how big the infestation is, so they can make effective management plans for controlling the infestation. A land owner needs to know how much land is infested and with which invasive plants if they apply for a grant to help with eradication efforts.
I have a lot of existing data in a database, how do I enter this into EDDMapS?
Look for our resources related to Bulk Data either on the Tools & Training page or in My EDDMapS then Bulk Uploads. Existing data submitted as an Excel file type (xls, xlsx, csv), Google Earth file type (kml/kmz), or ArcGIS shapefile or geodatabase can be formatted and uploaded in bulk rather than one at a time through the website.
I would like to enter data into EDDMapS, but how do I learn more about which invasive species to look for?
Answer: For invasive species information, go to http://www.invasive.org/. You can access information on invasive species by clicking on the 'Species' link at the top of the page or by clicking on the links labeled 'Plants', 'Insects', 'Pathogens' or 'Other Species'. You can also scroll down the home page a little to the link to 'Invasive Plant Atlas of the U.S.' or the link to 'Invasive Plants of the United States: Identification, Biology and Control'. There are additional links leading to more information at each of these links. You will find information on the invasive species, pictures of the invasive species (the more pictures of an invasive species you see, the easier it will be for you to identify the invasive later), maps where the invasive has been found already, ways to control it, and areas where it has been listed as invasive or noxious.
Each area has invasive species of special concern. Check with the group in your area for the species important to watch for there. The list of invasive species may vary from region to region. Check with your state Exotic Pest Plant Council, Invasive Species Council, Invasive Plant Council, Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area, Cooperative Weed Management Area, county extension agent, or state forester for the species important to watch for in your region.
Contact us for more information or any further questions you may have
Chuck Bargeron- Technology Director
Rebekah Wallace- EDDMapS Coordinator