Creating a cyberinfrastructure to involve volunteer groups in citizen science

Invasive species are one of the greatest challenges to maintaining biodiversity and are a serious threat to human health.  However, we have done little to combat their threat as a result of large data gaps in our state of knowledge of these species.  We have yet to tap into the potential of volunteer groups to aid in the monitoring of invasive species to help improve our state of knowledge.   Reasons for this include issues of data sensitivity and the ability to ensure high that data collected by these groups are of good quality.  We can address these concerns with the help of cyberinfrastructure tools.  Numerous web sites and data management systems are being used to help volunteers obtain tools for surveying invasive species, entering information on species locations, obtaining maps of potential distributions and to communicate with regional professionals to aid in management efforts.  A cyberinfrastructure for invasive species that links these services together will allow volunteers to find information more quickly for a much wider range of species and regions while educating them on the impact invasive species are having on their local communities.  The cyberinfrastructure will enable research by providing access to larger datasets at much lower costs.  Results from research can then be provided back to volunteer groups and the public in general through the cyberinfrastructure.