TUTORIAL MANUAL FOR THE PRAIRIE REGION INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES INVENTORY AND MAP DISPLAY

Transcription

1 TUTORIAL MANUAL FOR THE PRAIRIE REGION INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES INVENTORY AND MAP DISPLAY October 2007 Prepared by Emma Balitski and Karen Rempel Funding for this project was provided in part by the Invasive Alien Species Partnership Program, a Government of Canada initiative. Le Programme de partenariat sur les espèces exotiques envahissantes; une initiative parrainée par le gouvernement du Canada, a assuré en partie le financement de ce projet

2 Acknowledgements The Prairie Region Invasive Plant Species (PRIPS) Inventory and Map Display website is funded in part by the Invasive Alien Species Partnership Program, a Government of Canada initiative; the Greencover Canada Regional Technical Assistance Program, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; the Rural Development Institute, Brandon University, and the Canada Rural Economy Research Lab, College of Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan. The Tutorial Manual is funded in part by the Greencover Canada Regional Technical Assistance Program and the Invasive Alien Species Partnership Program, a Government of Canada initiative; the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI) of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Special thanks go to the Mike St. Louis, Elise Pietroniro and Rose Olfert of the Canada Rural Economy Research Lab, College of Agriculture, and the University of Saskatchewan. 2

3 Table of Contents NOTE: A map of the website follows on next page. The table of contents and the tutorial are organized around the main pages (blue) and the second level (orange) of the PRIPS website. Acknowledgements... 2 Map of Site... 4 Home... 5 About Us... 6 User Accounts... 7 Disclaimer... 7 Set Up User Account... 8 Site Location Main Menu... 9 User Login... 9 Add New Site Location Coordinates Search Download Forms Logout Reports Map Display Disclaimer Agreement Map Display Main Page... 25

4 Map of Site Home About Us User Accounts Site Location Main Menu Reports Map Display (User log in) Disclaimer Set Up User Account User Login Add New Site Location Coordinates Search Download forms Logout Disclaimer Agreement Map Display Main Page Site Location Record Site Coordinates Exist (select) Add New Invasive Plant Record 1. Save and add treatment plan Add treatment plan 3. Save and add new site location 2. Save and add new plant species record 4. Save and log out

5 Home The threat of invasive plant species is continuing to grow at an exponential rate. Invasive plant or weed management plans are aimed at encouraging strategic approaches to the prevention, control or eradication of invasive plant species at the local level. One of the most important components of these plans is gathering data about the type of invasive plant species, its level and area of infestation, and the pathways of spread. This website is aimed at providing key information to land owners and managers on the location and pathways of invasive plant species. The site consists of a database inventory of invasive plant species and downloadable map display. These tools can be used to help plan and identify priorities in local communities or regions across the Prairies. The tools can also be used for early detection and to monitor changes in species and areas of infestation over time.

6 About Us Canada Rural Economy Research Lab (C-RERL) The Canada Rural Economy Research Lab (C-RERL) is located in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Saskatchewan. C-RERL is a state-of-the-art research facility designed to study Canada's rural economy, quality of life, and environment utilizing the latest GIS software and statistical packages. C-RERL examines all issues that affect the vitality of Rural Canada from a diversified economy, healthcare, environment, amenities, transportation, to a productive and sustainable agricultural sector. Whether it is linking GIS to survey results, creating informative maps, to analysis using complex statistical techniques, C-RERL endeavors to use the most innovative research approaches to assess issues that affect all Canadians. Greencover Canada Regional Technical Assistance Program The objective of the Regional Technical Assistance Component is to provide technical assistance and technical transfer tools to accelerate the adoption of beneficial management practices for the sustainable use and management of pasture, hayland, critical/riparian areas and, shelterbelts on the agricultural landscape. The component will enhance program delivery mechanisms for technology transfer to groups and individuals through the provision of technical expertise and financial support to develop extension tools. Rural Development Institute, Brandon University Rural populations face considerable challenges in today's rapidly changing society. Restructuring in agriculture and industry, plus fiscal restraint and shifts in rural and northern demographics, are leading to a re-examination of the roles of governments, communities and individuals. Brandon University's Rural Development Institute (RDI) is a centre for excellence in rural development helping strengthen rural and northern communities through research and information on issues unique to rural areas. 6

7 User Accounts In order to use this website, an active User Account must be set up. To acquire a User Account, click on the User Accounts link. This page gives an explanation as to who may acquire an account. If you meet the requirements, you will be directed to proceed to read the disclaimer and agree to the conditions of use. Disclaimer The disclaimer should be read carefully. You must agree to comply with the conditions of use before you can set up a User Account. If you do not agree to comply with the conditions you will not be eligible to set up a User Account. However, the map display is available for public use. 7

8 Set Up User Account If you agree to comply with the conditions of use for this site, you will be directed to complete the online form to set up a user account. This information will automatically be forwarded to the manager of the Canada Rural Economy Research Lab at the University of Saskatchewan. The manager will set up an account. Within a day, you will be sent an with your account login information. Once you have a user name and password, go directly to the Site Location Main Menu to log in to your user account and begin entering data. 8

9 Site Location Main Menu User Login To log in to your user account, click on the Site Location Main Menu. The first page will ask you to enter your username and password. Once this has been done, you have several choices. You can Add a new site location. Search existing site location data using a variation of criteria to find information. Download survey forms to use in the field. Logout of the user area. 9

10 Add New Site Location Coordinates To add a new site, click on the Add new site location button. This will proceed to a new page. Co-ordinates can be entered by either latitude and longitude, or by UTM (from a GPS device). Once the coordinates have been entered, hit Next. This will result in a search of the database to determine if the coordinates are new or if there is a site location already existing in the database. 10

11 NOTE: 1. If you are using latitude and longitude you must record the information in Degree decimal format (i.e and not ). To convert coordinates from degrees, minutes, and seconds follow this example = 30 degrees: 15 (minutes/60): 22 (seconds/3600) = 30. (15/60) :(22/3600) then convert to decimals = 30. (0.25):(0.0061) Write as a string of numbers = When collecting data, you must identify exactly which Datum the GPS unit is using (either WGS 1984 or NAD 1983). If this Datum is wrong, the location site will be referenced incorrectly on the map display. 11

12 If the coordinates are new or unique, you will see the Site Location Record Below this will be the blank site information form to complete. Notice that the username, contact information, and geographic coordinates for the site location have been automatically entered into the form. If the coordinates already exist, you will be required to review the existing information. This is necessary to prevent the duplication of site locations that can slow down the use of the database and functions. To review the existing coordinates, click on View next to the entry. The range on the Latitude and Longitude coordinates is within.0005 degrees decimal. 12

13 In addition to the site location coordinates, there are a number of other types of information that you can enter. This information is optional however every little bit of information can be useful. Some other types of information that can be added in the database include: 1. Ownership Public (i.e. roadsides, parks, etc.) Private (i.e. private properties including pastures, yard sites, etc.) Not known 2. Current land use Pasture Public land Roadside Idle Other 3. Vegetation association Short grass Long grass Mixed grass Aspen Other The section Additional Comments can be used to include any additional information such as pathways, history or unidentified species. Once you have completed entering the information on a new or existing site, click n the Save site location changes to save the entered data. Once the site location coordinates have been saved you will now be able to input information on the invasive plant species on the page titled Add New Invasive Plant Inventory Record. 13

14 Add a New Invasive Plant Inventory Record To add new invasive plant to the site location, click the box labeled Add new invasive plant inventory record. NOTE: In addition to entering a new invasive plant species, there are four options at the bottom of this page that will let you: Save and add treatment plans Save and add new plant species record Save and add new site location Save and log out 14

15 Explanation of terms Area The infested area is the area or patch that contains the actual invasive species. The gross area is the total land area that contains the infested area. In the example below, the gross area is 1.85 acres of pasture land but common burdock covers only 0.25 acres of the pasture. Distribution Codes The Distribution code refers to the spatial arrangement of species in an infested area. The codes are presented in a drop down menu. Density Codes Density code refers to the number of species per square meter in an infested area. Choices are (in dropdown list): 15

16 Site Priority Codes Site priority refers to the priority of the site based on the size of the site, susceptibility of the habitat, of adjacent sites, and the expectation of control. Choices are (in dropdown list): NOTE: The distribution, density, and site priority codes are also available in a diagram format on the Site Location Main Menu page (Download Forms). If you are using an existing site location, there may other invasive species already entered. These can be viewed by clicking on the View Survey link beside the common name(s). Saving Data Once the data on the invasive species has been entered, the form must be saved. The website gives four options when saving to make it easier to work with the data entry functions. These are: 16

17 1. Save and add a treatment plan for the invasive species, 2. Save and add another new invasive species at that location, 3. Save and add a new site location, 4. Save and logout if all sites and species have been entered. 17

18 Treatment Plans The button Save and add treatment plan allows you to enter information on treatment activities for the invasive species recorded at the site. The database automatically enters the survey date, site ID, and invasive species. However, it is up to the user however to enter the site priority and invested area will be required. Three treatment activities or integrated pest management activities can be entered. Using the pull down list, select the treatment activity used or required at the site. Agent and Rate lets you to enter the agent (ex. herbicide or biocontrol agent) and rate (amount or number per acre) Proposed date refers to the date scheduled for the application of a treatment. The treatment date is the actual date that a treatment was applied to the site location. Additional comments can be used to describe a grazing program (species, number, etc.) for the site. 18

19 Search The search function allows you to do two things. 1. Search gives you four options to help search for existing site locations in the database. You can search by: The individual or organization that entered the data; or by Particular information that was submitted for the site such as the name or rural municipality; or by The geographic information by latitude and longitude; or by The geographic information by UTM coordinates. 2. The search function also lets a registered user can also enter additional data on the site including a new invasive species or treatment plans. Once the search criteria has been entered or selected, click on the Search locations button to view the results. To view the site location record and invasive plant records, click on the view link on the page. NOTE: Over time, it is easy to loose track of an organization s entries on the data. We highly recommend that the users keep a paper trail of the individuals you entered the data, the site location names, or the geographic information. Use the REPORT page to generate printed reports for your records. 19

20 Download Forms The Download forms link takes you to a page containing downloadable forms. The forms include the required fields for the database as well as the density, distribution and site priority codes used in the plant inventory record. Adobe Reader is required to view these files. To download the Adobe Reader, please go to 20

21 Logout Reports This button lets you logout of the system. Your data will be automatically saved. The Reports page provides you with printable site reports for the following: Sites by user Sites by RM number Sites by RM name Sites by Invasive species Sites by Site ID Select the type of list you want, and then click the Generate report button. (Only one type of report can be generated at a time.) 21

22 A report will be generated based on the type of site report that you have requested. This page can be printed directly from the web site using the print function on the web site tool bar. You can also view and print an Individual Site Report by clicking on the hyperlinked Site ID. These reports are printer friendly and contain all the collected and entered data for the site location. 22

23 Map Display Welcome to the Map Display of the Prairie Region Invasive Plant Species website. This portion of the website is available for public use. In other words, you do not need a user name or password to access the map display. However, you must agree to comply with the disclaimer before using. Printing Maps To print maps from the map display page, any pop-up blockers that are running on the web browser mist be disabled as the map display will create a printer friendly map in a new pop up window. In Internet Explorer, this can be located in the Tools Menu at the top of the window. In Mozilla Firefox, select Tools, then Options. This will open another window. Select Web Features and then uncheck the box next to Block Popup Windows. Click on OK. 23

24 Disclaimer Agreement The map display features of the website are accessed by clicking on the Map Display link in the left hand menu of the PRIPS website. A Disclaimer page will appear; in which after reading the disclaimer, the user will be asked to agree or disagree with the conditions for using the map display function of the website. Note: Users must agree to the conditions of listed on the Disclaimer page. It is very important that you read and understand the conditions set out in this disclaimer. You will not be allowed to proceed without accepting these conditions. When you agree to accept the conditions of the map display, the default view of the map display will page will open. 24

25 Map Display Main Page This is the default view of the map after agreeing to the conditions of the disclaimer. Overview map Along the left hand side of the window are the tools for navigating, searching, and displaying data on the map. In the top left hand corner of the display map, is an overview map to track the location in relation to the rest of the country when using the zoom functions. This overview map can be toggled on or off as per the user s preference. The right hand side of the window shows a list of active layers currently being displayed on the map. The check boxes ( and ) indicate which layers are being displayed. The radio buttons ( and ) indicate the active display layers. Any time that the visible layers and/or the active layer are changed, the map must be refreshed in order for the changes to be reflected on the display map. A description of each of these functions follows. 25

26 Tools for navigating, search and displaying data on the map Row Left side Right side 1 Toggle legend/layer Toggle overview map 2 Zoom in Zoom out 3 Zoom to full extent Zoom to active layer 4 Back to last zoom Pan manually 5 Pan to North Pan to South 6 Pan to West Pan to East 7 Hyperlink Identify 8 Query Find 9 Measure Set units 10 Buffer Select by rectangle 11 Select by line/polygon Clear selection 12 Print Click on the tool to make it useable. A red box will appear around the tool that is selected and active. 26

27 Toggle layers and legend. The Map Viewer has a right hand panel that shows either the Legend or the available Layers for each map. Click on the legend tool icon to make either of these two panels visible. Toggle overview map. Turns the overview map on or off. map. Zoom in will concentrate the view on the map, making an area larger. Zoom out will make the area of the map smaller and show more of the Zoom to full extent will zoom the map out to full view of the overall map. Zoom to active layer will view the extent of the active layer. Back to last extent will return the map to the previous zoom view of the map. Pan manually allows you to move the map in any direction to change the area being viewed. Pan to north will move the map view to the north. Pan to south will move the map view to the south. Pan to west will move the map view to the west. Pan to east will move the map view to the east. Hyperlink will connect to any further linked documentation regarding the site location record. Identify when used to click on any region of the map will display attributes of the records that are clicked from the Active Layer. 27

28 Query is used to find records based on certain attributes. These results are displayed in a table below the map display. Find will find and select (highlight) records of an active layer based on a search string. Measure is used to measure distances on the map. Set Units tool allows the user to choose, from a drop down menu, the units of measurement to be used to determine distances on the display map. Buffer allows the user to create a buffer around a selected area to retrieve data and features from within that buffer. Select by rectangle allows the user to select records (points) by drawing a rectangle on the map. The results are displayed in a table at the bottom of the window. Select by line / polygon selects records using a user-defined polygon or line drawn over the map. The results are displayed in a table at the bottom of the window. Clear selection de-selects all selected and/or highlighted features. The Print tool will open a preview window in the web browser creating a printer friendly document. See Printing Maps on pop-up windows. For more detailed directions for a number of these tools go to page

29 Layers List On the right hand side of the screen is the Layers list. The default view is Layers list. NOTE: In order to select the map features to be viewed (roads, weed species, bodies of water, etc.), selections must be made in the layers list. Depending on the level of zoom, different layers will be available for selection; the closer the zoom, more options will be available. To make layers visible, click on the check box next to the layer. To turn a layer off, simply click on the check box to remove the check mark. NOTE: After selecting or de-selecting the appropriate layers, make sure to refresh the map so any changes in the layers can be made. 29

30 To make a layer active, click on the radio button next to the layer of the layer panel under the Active heading. A green dot in the radio button will indicate which layer is active. The data frame at the bottom of the window will also indicate which layer is the active layer. NOTE: The appropriate layer must be active in order to use the functions such as hyperlink, identify, query, find, measure, or select from the tools on the left side of the page, By toggling the Layers/Legend option in the map tool bar, the map legend (seen at right, bottom) can also be viewed. However, this is not an interactive menu. Each plant species will appear on the map as a different coloured marker (dot). You can make these markers interactive by first selecting the identify tool, then by clicking on the marker on the map. 30

31 Selecting Data Using Identify The identify function (1) will extract attribute information from an active layer (2) by clicking on that area of the map. The 'Identify' results will appear in a table in the frame (3) below the map Clicking on the marker requires a little bit of precision; if the cursor is placed to the North West edge of a point and clicked, the mouse will correctly select that point for information purposes. 31

32 Using the Query Tool The query tool searches records by common attributes. Upon clicking the query button in the tool bar, the user will be required to make selections from drop down menus. The first is the query field and contains search parameters such as Plant ID, Plant codes, Density codes, Recommended activity, and X and Y coordinates. Once the field has been selected, the user must select the operator. The operator is a simple mathematic formula: = equal to, < greater than, > less than <= greater than or equal to, >= less than or equal to, or Query Fields LIKE Then click on the Get Samples button to run a preliminary search of the database. The results will appear in a dropdown list called Sample 32

33 Values. The user can now use these results to narrow down the search parameters using the And, Or, Not, (, and ) buttons. The user must click on the Add to Query String for each parameter that is being searched. Once the string contains all parameters to be searched, click on Execute. NOTE: the Undo button will erase the last parameter added to the string. In the above example, Undo would erase DISTR_CODE = 8. The Clear button will erase all parameters in the query string. The results of the query will be displayed in the bottom frame of the window. Clicking on the hyperlinked record number (Rec) will jump the map display to that corresponding point. Hitting the Back button on the browser window will return the map display to its previous location and zoom level prior to selecting the hyperlink. To view more of the table at one time, click and hold down the left mouse button on the upper edge of the table frame and drag the frame up or down as desired. 33

34 Using the Find Tool The find tool functions by searching the database for the words in the search string entered by the user. Enter the word(s) in the input box and then click on the Find String button. The results will be displayed in the bottom frame below the map, containing the hyperlinked record numbers. 34

35 Using the Measure Tool This tool is used to measure distances between two points on the map. Select the tool then click on the point to start the measurement from. Click the map again where the measurement is to end. The total distance is shown in the top left corner of the map display. Results can be set to display in different units of measurement (see Set Units tool). Perimeters can be determined by clicking at several locations around an area. To start a new measurement, click on the Clear Selection tool. Using the Set Units Tool Choose the units of measurement by first clicking on the dropdown list and highlighting the desired units. Then click on the Set Units button to enter the selection. To cancel the unit change, click on the Cancel button. 35

36 Using the Select by Rectangle Tool The Select by Rectangle tool selects records corresponding to points on the map display within the area drawn. Select the tool, then click on the map to start the area and holding the mouse button down, drag a rectangle over the desired area and release the mouse button. The results are displayed in the table in the bottom frame. Using the Select by Line/Polygon Tool The line/polygon tool allows the selection a series of points or an irregularly shaped area with which to select points in. Activate the layer corresponding to the points to be selected. Click on locations to mark the boundary; then click on the Complete line and select for a linear series of points or Complete polygon and A series or linear selection of points 36

37 select button for the area within an irregular area. The end point does not have to be the same as the start point. If an error is made in the selection process, there is an option to delete the last point or to restart. A polygonal selection of points Using the Buffer Tool The Buffer tool is applied once the search criteria or selection tools have been applied to the map. The Buffer tool allows the user to add a margin of error or perimeter surrounding the location being queried to include any data that may be in proximity but is otherwise unknown to the user. 37

38 Using the Clear Selection Tool The Clear Selection tool erases any points or selections made on the map display. Using the Print Tool Selecting the Print tool will open the option to create a printer friendly page. Any pop-up blockers on the web window need to be disabled (see Printing Maps section on pop-up blockers). If desired, the user can type in a different title for the print file and then click on the Create Print Page button. In the new internet window, use the browser tools / commands to print the page. 38

39 Results Table Once any selections have been made on the map display, the following table will be displayed. Then once the point has been selected, at the bottom of the screen, the following table with the information associated appears. Please note that n/a indicates those columns which contain data for the interactive mapping function and is not needed by the user for the purpose of cross referencing the map to the database entries. 1. REC: number of records at that point or for that query, 2. OBJECTID: n/a 3. XCOORD: Longitude coordinate for location (Degrees decimal format), 4. X_COORD: n/a, 5. YCOORD: Latitude coordinate for location (Degrees decimal format), 6. Y_COORD: n/a, 7. PLANT_ID: n/a 8. USER_ID: User ID number that entered the original location survey, 9. SITE_LOCAT: n/a, 10. PLANT_TYPE: n/a, 11. PLANT_CODE: Plant code based on scientific nomenclature, 12. DATE_SURVE: Date survey was conducted, 13. ENTERED_BY: Name of person that entered the survey data to the database, 39

40 14. UPDATED_DA: Date the survey data was entered or updated, 15. UPDATED_BY: Name of person that updated the data, 16. SURVEYER: Name of the person that conducted the original survey or the party responsible for that particular user account, 17. TELEPHONE: Telephone number for the surveyor / user account holder, address for the surveyor / user account holder, 19. ORGANIZATI: Organization responsible for survey / user account holder, 20. SITE_NAME: Name of site, determined by surveyor, 21. SITE_ID: Number or code to identify site location, determined by surveyor, 22. MUNIPALI: Name of the municipality, 23. MUNICIPA_1: Municipality number, 24. PROV_ID: Number assigned to the province the survey was conducted in 1 = Alberta 2 = Manitoba 3 = Saskatchewan 25. GEOG_TYPE: n/a 26. LAT_LONG_D: n/a 27. LAT_DEGREE: n/a, 28. LAT_MINUTE: n/a, 40

41 29. LAT_SECOND: n/a, 30. LAT_DIRECT: n/a 31. LAT_NUMBER: Latitude in Degrees decimal format, 32. LON LAT_DEGREE: n/a, 33. LAT_MINUTE: n/a, 34. LONG_DEGRE: n/a, 35. LONG_MINUT: n/a, 36. LONG_SECON: n/a, 37. LONG_DIREC: n/a, 38. LONG_NUMBE: Longitude in Degrees decimal format, 39. DATA-PLOTT: n/a, 40. MADE_XY_F: n/a, 41. WEBSITE: Web address for complete report on the surveyed location and species, 42. #SHAPE#: n/a, 43. #ID#: n/a. 41