The importance of burn frequency and severity in predicting invasive species habitat in three National Park systems, USA

The Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS) is an automated, web-based information management and modeling environment which accepts field data and environmental GIS layers and builds maps of potential habitat for invasive species.  In this collaborative effort between NASA, National Park Service, and Colorado State University, we used ISFS to predict habitat for three species of management concern across three National Park systems.  Here, we present the results of our preliminary habitat maps, which incorporate the effects of burn frequency and severity on invasion potential.  Specifically, we show that incorporating information about past fires improves our ability to predict invasion of spotted knapweed (Centaurea biebersteinii) in the Yellowstone/Grand Tetons ecosystem, bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) in Sequoia/ Kings Canyon National Parks, and white sweet clover (Melilotus alba) in several National Parks of Alaska.  The habitat maps resulting from our efforts should help park managers in their invasive species control and fire management efforts.