About the Project:

The electronic field guide technology, developed at the departments of Computer Science and Biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, is the basis for this joint endeavor with the Maria Mitchell Association of Nantucket to electronically document island biodiversity. The Electronic Field Guide to the Invasive Plants of Nantucket (EFG) is the first product of this partnership. To help bridge the gap between people and the natural world, the EFG uses taxonomic and ecological data along with visual aids to connect people to a database of more than 60 terrestrial alien plant species that occur on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts. This user-friendly guide introduces the general public to the fundamentals of plant identification while describing the impact non-native species have on the ecosystems of Nantucket. We hope it enables users to recognize invasive plant species and teaches them about the threat these species pose to natural habitats. The underlying database will also serve as a baseline for scientific research.

We used categories* established by the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group, listed below, as the foundation for determining invasiveness of plant species.

• Invasive: Non-native species that have spread into native or minimally managed plant systems on Nantucket. These plants cause economic or environmental harm by developing self-sustaining populations and becoming dominant and/or disruptive to those systems.
• Likely Invasive: Non-native species that are naturalized in Nantucket but do not meet the full criteria that would trigger an "Invasive plant" designation.
• Potential Invasive: Non-native species not currently known to be naturalized in Nantucket, but that can be expected to become invasive within minimally managed habitats.

In addition, three additional categories* were established:

• Intermediate Invasive: Non-native species that are able to grow and spread rapidly or have the potential to harm the fragile ecosystems of Nantucket. Scientists may currently be collecting data about the invasiveness of some of these species.
• Roadside Weed: Species primarily found in disturbed soil and rural areas, sometimes persisting as large populations.
• Watch List: Invasive species that are persistent on the mainland but have not yet set their roots in Nantucket's sandy soil. Out of all the categories, this may be the most important for the public to know about. Community involvement will make all the difference in preventing the establishment of these destructive species here! By reporting sightings of any Watch List species, the public will help conservationists identify and remove such species before they become established. Sightings should be reported to the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative Invasive Species Committee.

We are currently working on full risk assessments to support the determination of invasiveness for each species, and will update the database when they are completed. Determined level of invasiveness may change as new data are collected.

* These categories have no official status