Large-Scale Monitoring for an Invasive Species: Data Life-Cycle ManagementAmos H. Ziegler1, E. A. Roberts2 and Steven C. Crisp1

1Computational Ecology and Visualization LaboratoryDepartment of Entomology, Michigan State University

2Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Trap data is acquired at the time of trap placement and all subsequent trap inspections.

• 90,000+ pheromone traps are deployed annually.• Field maps assist trapping personnel in trap deployment.• GPS units assist trappers in navigating to intended sites.• GPS units used to record moth catch data at inspection visits.• Trapper Gadget (Mobile OS/GPS) device in several states.

Trap data is collected weekly by state cooperators. Data can be viewed in the field or uploaded to the STS Autoloader service.

• GPS data is downloaded with GPSi software.• Trapper Gadget Desktop Utilities manage Gadget data. • Local visualization of data available with TrapView software.• Field validation and FTP to database with GPS File Uploader.

Data interactions are at the most basic level at this stage. Access to erroneous raw data, simple summaries and trap condition reports.

• Access to raw field data.• Cooperator error correction.• Real-time trapping data reporting.• Download of Gadget data file for unit synchronization.• Download of daily-updated trapping GIS files.

Data interactions are at an intermediate level at this stage. Data are clean and access to derived products is available.

• Web sites are the main dissemination vehicle for data driven products.• Includes main project, daily operations, and decision support sites.• Internet resources allow for collaboration on data and project management.

Data interactions are at the highest level at this stage. Highlyprocessed data are now input to the decision process. DSS model out is available daily.

• Trap data are input to Decision Support System (DSS). • Output from the DSS guides the planning process.• Custom GIS extensions for implementing planning.• Define trapping/treatment activities for next season.• All decisions are captured within the GIS.

Overview: The National Slow the Spread (STS) of the Gypsy Moth Project is a multi-state wide-area integrated pest management program targeted at the European gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.), an invasive species and serious defoliator of hardwoods. While GIS, database management, and information technologies have played a role in various invasive species management programs within the U.S. and throughout the world, STS represents the largest and broadest use of these technologies in project planning, implementation, and evaluation. With over 90,000 annual survey sites distributed across 10 states involving 12 state or federal agencies, project implementation has involved into a complex set of protocols for survey design; data collection, submission, and processing; quality control; information distribution; and decision-making. Traditional gypsy moth management tools complement innovative components such as electronic data collection of geo-referenced data via GPS receivers and Pocket OS handheld devices; automated processing and distribution of information via the Internet; utilization of decision models and the integration of geo-statistical tools in project design and evaluation.

The data management framework presented below sits at the core of the larger program’s infrastructure and has contributed significantly to the savings of millions of dollars in management costs over the past 5 years. With the ever growing threat of invasive species, there is acritical need for the inclusion of data life-cycle management in early stages of program development. The overview of the data life-cycle of STS trapping data illustrates the various tabular, spatial, and informational management technologies applied to the monitoring and management of an invasive species. The data management framework outlined below represents one that could potentially be applied to the monitoring and management of other invasive species.

GMSTS Foundation http://www.gmsts.org

STS Operations Portalhttp://operations.gmsts.org

STS Decision Supporthttp://da.ento.vt.edu

Discussion Forumhttp://forums.gmsts.org

Field Data Collection

Trapper Gadget is a Windows Mobile OS application developed to simplify the collection of project data. There are ~20 units deployed among the cooperating states.

Currently, the STS project deploys ~300 Garmin V mapping GPS receivers among the cooperating states.

Digital Raster Graphic (DRG) 1:24000 base maps. Project information plotted as overlay. Over 1,100 produced annually.

Inspection ScreenNavigation ScreenMio 168RS basedTrapper Gadget

Field Data Visualization/Transfer

Coordinator

Oracle database

Field Supervisor

Trapper

MSU VT

GPS Gadget

Autoloader Service

FeedbackReports

GPSi is a custom application used to download the Garmin V GPS receivers. It provides ease of use and helps maintain the integrity of the data file.

TrapView is a custom application use to visualize the newly downloaded field data. TrapView also supports basic data validation and error correction.

GPS File Uploader is a custom application that serves as a client to the Autoloader Service hosted at the database nodes. The client performs local file management, structural validations, and allows for error correction before submission.

Entity Relationship Diagram: Placement table in the STS database. Shown are the relationships between the Placement table and its’ associated tables within the database. There are approximately 50 additional tables with similar relational structures.

Database Management / StructureData is stored in a distributed relational database. Data is automatically loaded and an array of QA/QC validations are performed to ensure data integrity.

• Distributed project database.• Nodes at MSU and VPI (STS-ISG).• Autoloader Service.• Data validations (QA/QC)• Oracle Enterprise Edition (9i R2).

• Approximately 50 Tables.• 50+ procedural validations.• ~700,000 historical placement records.• ~1 million historical inspection records.

(GPSi) (TrapView) (GPS File Uploader)

• State Survey• STS Action• Monitoring

BtMating disruptionNPV

(2004 Trapping Grid Structure) (2004 Traps and Treatments)

Project Planning & Evaluation

Planning Meeting: Southern Meeting @ VPI&SU Customized ArcView Environment.

Cooperator/Project Interactions Cooperator/Database Interactions

www.gmsts.org: The main web site for the Slow the Spread of the Gypsy Moth Foundation, Inc. The GMSTS foundation is the funding source for participating state cooperators. The web site holds information on grants, annual reports, and serves as the STS project’s web entry point.

(GMSTS Foundation @ www.gmsts.org) (STS DSS @ da.ento.vt.edu)

(Operations Portal @ operations.gmsts.org)

(STS MapServer @ mapserver.cevl.msu.edu)

operations.gmsts.org: The main web site for the daily and annual operational needs of the project. This is the main web site for cooperator access to an array of project documentation, data, and collaboration tools. Cooperators can access real-time data reporting, as well as have secure data access.

da.ento.vt.edu: The Decision Support System web site. On this site are daily updated maps showing trapping, recommended treatments and delimiting grids. Cooperators can also find historical trap catch, treatment evaluations, and spread rate calculations.

mapserver.cevl.msu.edu: The trapping data available on the Map Server is update three times daily in ESRI shapefile format, which are downloaded by cooperators in support of monitoring their trapping program. The Map Server is also commonly used in support of trapping data error correction.

Project Personnel

Internet

• Reports• Support files• GIS data• Digital maps• DA results• Tool updates

Decision Model

MapServer

• Field Data (GPS)• DB Queries• Error correction

Database

FTP Server

GIS

ArcSDE

“OPS” Portal

DSSMSU

VT

STS Cooperators can interact with trapping data at many points within the data life-cycle. This is typically done through access provided by project web resources. Cooperators can access both raw data and data derived products in support of their role in the STS project.

The STS Discussion Forums allow cooperators easy access to project coordinators and other cooperators. A main use of the forums is in support of field data error correction.

Secure access is provided to data errors for correction. Errors are summarized and reports can be run for unique trappers. Errors can then be corrected directly.