1. Midwest Training Entering Data on the Website
Hello, welcome to the EDDMapS Midwest training Power point. This training will focus on entering data into the form on the website.

2. Register to create an account
So, what is EDDMapS? EDDMapS is real time tracking of invasive species occurrences; local and national distribution maps; electronic early detection reporting tools; and a library of identification and management information. Register to create your account.

3. Choose the species Click on Report Sightings
Choose the type of species you are reporting
For this training we are using Plants
Choose the category of the invasive pest species you are reporting.

4. 1-Pest 2-Location 3-Images 4-Additional Notes
The Web form has Four Sections
1-Pest
Information on the Pest
Information on the Location
Images
Additional Notes
2-Location
3-Images
This is the reporting form or web form found on the EDDMapS Midwest website. The reporting form is based on the North American Invasive Species Management Association’s mapping standards. There are four sections to the web form. Each section focuses on a different aspect of your data. First, Information on the Pest species; second Information on the Location of the infestation; third, Images of the pest which help verify identification; and finally, a place for Additional Notes, if needed.
4-Additional Notes

5. First section of the web form
Document information on the invasive species being surveyed
Fill in the information you know about the invasive species you are reporting. Hover your mouse over a ‘?’ for a popup box with more information about that field.

6. First section of the web form
Begin typing the name of the pest and then
Choose your species from the dropdown box
Begin typing the name of the pest, using either the scientific or common name. A drop down box will appear, and you can choose the species you want to report.

7. First section of the web form
Click Treated if infestation has been treated (Default = Positive)
Date default is the date data is entered
If you are reporting a site which has not been treated, choose Positive. If you are submitting a report on a treated site, choose Treated. The Date default is the day on which you enter the data, but you should change it to show the actual date the information was collected.

8. First section of the web form
Gross area – Estimation of the general area of the infestation, but may include areas that are not occupied by the species of interest
Infested area – Estimation of the area that contains only the species of interest
You can report in acres, hectares, sq feet or sq meters
The definition for Gross area is an estimate of the general area where the species was found, but may include areas that are not covered by the species of interest. The Infested area is an estimate of the area that contains only the species reported. An example would be an old field with patches of tallowtrees scattered across it. You can mark the entire field as the gross area, and only count the part of the field with tallowtrees as the infested area.
You can choose to report the site you are surveying as acres, hectares, square feet or square meters.

9. First section of the web form
Want to draw a polygon of the Gross Area (entire survey site)? Click on the marker
Zoom in to your location
Click on to draw the Gross Area of your survey site
Gross area is then filled in automatically
If you Want to draw a polygon covering the entire survey site for this species, Just Click on the Pin, Zoom in to your location, then Click on Polygon to draw the gross area you have surveyed. The Gross area will be filled in on the form automatically.

10. First section of the web form
Canopy Closure - Estimate ground covered by foliage
Canopy Closure - Estimate the percent of the ground covered by the foliage of the species of interest.

11. First section of the web form
Choose Habitat type from the dropdown list
Scroll through the dropdown list of habitats to find the Habitat type that fits best.

12. First section of the web form
Abundance – choose the best description from the drop down list for the site you are reporting
Choose the best description from the dropdown list for Abundance.

13. First section of the web form
Finally, Check any relevant Plant Descriptions
Finally under the last part of the species information section, Check any relevant Plant Descriptions such as mature, in flower, in fruit and so on.

14. Second Section of the Web form
Document the Location information
Location Description/Nearest Address is a text box for additional information to help relocate an infestation
Click on Yes if the record should be private (No = default)
The Second Section of the Web form allows you to Document the Location information. Add notes to the Location Description text box to clarify location or add pertinent information about the site. Click on Yes if the record should be private instead of public – No or public is the default setting. If you mark it as private, the infestation will show up only at the county level.

15. Second Section of the Web form
Coordinates – Two choices
Type in the coordinates or
Place the marker at the correct location and the Latitude and Longitude will fill in automatically
Choose Ownership from the dropdown box
There are two choices for entering the coordinates of the infestation. You can Type the coordinates into the Latitude and Longitude fields or you can Drop the pin on the correct location on the map and the Latitude and Longitude will fill in automatically. Choose Ownership from the dropdown box. Remember to always have permission from landowners, before reporting data on private land.

16. Linear Point Polygon Second Section of the Web form
Site delineation – Three choices
Click on to show where an invasive is located
Click on to draw along a road or shoreline
Click on to create a site with three or more sides
Infested Area will automatically update
Linear
Polygon
For Site delineation you have Three choices. You can record the infestation as a point, for example when you are documenting a single tree or a small area. Click on the pin and drop it on the map to mark the location of the invasive species. To record an infestation that follows a linear path, Click on the line icon to drop points along an infestation such as a roadway, fence line, river or shoreline. Click on the polygon icon to drop points and create a site with three or more sides, for example an abandoned field.
Point

17. Third Section of the Web form – Add Images
Upload up to five images for each report
Caption: Identify the feature in the image
Photo by: If someone else took the picture, add their name
In the Third Section of the Web form you can add up to five images for each report. Use the “Caption” to Identify the feature in the image, such as flower, vine, leaf, or fruit. If someone other than the reporter took the picture, then add their name in the field, “Photo by”.

18. Fourth Section of the Web form – Additional Info
Comments: Add any additional information that may be needed in this text box
Identified by: Add names here if someone other than you identified the species
Click Yes and add the location if a specimen is taken (Default = No)
Click on Submit Report and you are done.
In the last Section of the Webform there is a text box for adding any other information on the infestation or site that would be helpful to someone following up later. In some cases you may need to take a sample of the invasive plant for identification by a third party. Their name can be added under “Identified by”. If you collect a sample to send to an herbarium, Click Yes and add the name of the herbarium where the specimen is sent for identification. The Default is No.
Click on “Submit Report” and you are done. Congratulations!

19. EDDMapS Midwest Web form is complete
Reports are automatically sent to be Verified
Once verified, reports are available on the EDDMapS website
This and other trainings are available on the EDDMapS Midwest homepage
Your Web form is now complete. Once submitted the Reports are automatically sent via to Verifiers. Once verified, reports are available on the EDDMapS website. This and other EDDMapS trainings are available through the Tools & Training link.