The OakMapper WebGIS: Improved Access to Sudden Oak Death Spatial Data

Access to timely and accurate sudden oak death (SOD) location data is critical for SOD monitoring, management and research. Several websites (hereafter called the OakMapper sites) associated with sudden oak death monitoring efforts have been maintained with up-todate SOD location information for over five years, providing information and maps of the most current spatial and attribute data on Phytophthora ramorum distribution in California to the public, the California oak mortality task force, and researchers. In addition to the spatial locations of P. ramorum, the OakMapper websites maintain a range of supporting spatial data. There are two main avenues for which to view the data: static SOD maps (state, county, and local area vicinity), and the interactive and dynamic OakMapper websites. The OakMapper database, the statewide repository for all positive P. ramorum confirmations in California, has several components. The OakMapper webGIS application allows people to view confirmed P. ramorum trees, general SOD areas, symptomatic SOD trees submitted via an online form (“SOD sightings”), geo-located photos of SOD, United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service (USDA-FS) annual aerial survey polygons depicting forest mortality (listed under “Aerial Survey Data”), host species areas, federal, state, and regional parks, highways, interstates, and local roads, state-wide SOD risk model created by Sonoma State University (SSU), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographical data. With OakMapper, the user can zoom in/out, query data, and search for SOD near an address. The user can link to climate data, which are long-term averages of monthly temperature and total precipitation, for each SOD confirmations, and export and print custom maps. Geographic layers can be turned on and off to customize the view. In addition, all the information behind the geographic data can be queried in order to learn more about each SOD confirmation. OakMapper visitors can choose to view the OakMapper in three formats. First, they can use the original OakMapper, built with ESRI’s ArcIMS, which contains numerous tools for map viewing and querying. Second, they can use the OakMapper Google Maps, where they can view SOD confirmations with easy-to-use Google Maps interface and data as the backdrop. Click on “Map” to view the road map backdrop, “Satellite” to view aerial and satellite photos as backdrops, and “Hybrid” to view both. Third, they can use the OakMapper-Google Earth, where they can view SOD confirmations and a few other data layers over the interface. Users need to install Google Earth onto their computers before they are able to view this data. Once they have it installed, they can click on the link on oakmapper.org and open the file up in Google Earth. Zoom around and tilt the earth to see a bird’s eye view of SOD. In some places, you can even see the affected dead/dying trees behind the SOD confirmation! Visitors to the OakMapper can submit an SOD sighting, which is a symptomatic tree that is potentially infected with P. ramorum. The submitted points are then mapped as part of the OakMapper. In addition, we have been collecting user opinions about the OakMapper through an online 1 A version of this paper was presented at the Sudden Oak Death Third Science Symposium, March 5–9, 2007, Santa Rosa, California. 2 Geospatial Imaging and Informatics Facility, University of California, Berkeley, 137 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114. Corresponding author: M. Kelly, [email protected]. GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-214 66 survey, where users can leave valuable feedback about what they like or dislike about the OakMapper, and give suggestions on its improvement.