Bringing modeling to the masses: Online tools for invasive species management

The invasion and subsequent spread of harmful invasive species threaten biodiversity, ecosystem function, habitat quality, resource availability, national economics, and human health worldwide. Such invasions have generated concern from diverse stakeholders ranging from federal and state public land managers, economists, ecologists, conservationists, and private land owners. Weedy invasive plants, for example, have cost farmers and ranchers about $13 billion per year due to changes in crop production. Yet, knowledge about the locations of invasive species and their patterns of spread are lacking. A comprehensive and efficient system, complete with predictive modeling capabilities, is needed if containment and/or eradication are to be achieved. We have developed an online system that makes ecologically based predictive range maps available to farmers, ranchers, and decision makers. We summarize the recent technological advancements that now allow invasive species practitioners to create predictive models of invasive species probable distributions online using a variety of modeling methods.