Acer macrophyllum Citizen Science Project needs help!

Hi, you observe a lot of Acer macrophyllum and this project could potentially benefit from your help

A friend of mine works for a group that is collecting Acer macrophyllum material to make a DNA database so that illegal logging of A. macrophyllum can be traced. They are hoping to complete sample collection this summer from diverse locations across the western US.

All it takes to be involved is signing up here:
http://www.adventurescientists.org/timber-volunteers.html

An hour or so online training and then the team can get you collection packages. They are looking to collect samples as widely dispersed across each zone as possible to make their library as diverse as possible, since this should make tracing back illegal harvested material to the harvest site easier.

in the comments I'm going to @ the top 100 Acer macrophyllum observers in hopes that you might participate or can get the word out. Thanks!

Posted on 25 de maio de 2018, 03:55 PM by damontighe damontighe

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Hi, you observe a lot of Acer macrophyllum and this project could potentially benefit from your help

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Publicado por damontighe quase 6 anos antes

@naturechris
@aduval22

Publicado por nelruzam quase 6 anos antes

Cool. About to go overseas for work for awhile, but happy to participate when I get back.

Publicado por jenniferlchandler quase 6 anos antes

Very neat. I don't live in CA any more so won't see any of these, if you decide to expand out to sugar maple, i can get you more samples than you'd ever want.

Publicado por charlie quase 6 anos antes

@jenniferlchandler - go ahead and start the sign up process as it takes a while for all of the logistics to get in place on the back end and that way when your state side again you'll be already to sample

@charlie - I'll keep that in mind :)

Publicado por damontighe quase 6 anos antes

Interested about the methods... This could potentially reveal a lot about the tree, or the data could end up difficult to translate. We (at work) are coordinating with someone to sample some of the trees on our grounds for this project.

Tagging @kevinevans as well, since he's near the (apparently ignored) disjunct populations in Idaho.

Publicado por ajwright quase 6 anos antes

@ajwright - I assume its microsatellite sequencing, but I'm not 100% sure. I agree the data may be hard to translate, but it would probably come down to the number of loci sampled. I'm not sure if it will be an iterative sequencing effort (ie do X loci, compare granularity of geography model and then do X+N loci until granularity specificity is hit). If you sign up to be a volunteer Anya could fill you in on more of the technical details.

Publicado por damontighe quase 6 anos antes

Thanks Damon; this looks pretty cool. I have to ponder this over the weekend to make sure I can commit to the leaf crew at 15x samples. Looks like my zone (18) already has a volunteer(s). But bigleaf maples are all around me and everywhere here. Poaching is a big problem and it would feel good to help the situation. https://www.seattlepi.com/local/crime/article/Music-Wood-Poacher-Olympic-Prosecution-12511937.php

Publicado por brownsbay quase 6 anos antes

@brownsbay as your the article you posted highlights, tough economic times in old lumber areas leaves lots of factors that increase the poaching of bigleaf maple. I'd go ahead and try to sign up and Anya or one of the other program directors might have a way you can contribute. One thing that I've already learned is how under observed bigleaf maple is on iNat and its definitely going to encourage me to keep my eye out for them.

Publicado por damontighe quase 6 anos antes

it's a species with neat ecology and interesting distribution. I think the few in the santa monica mountains are well represented in iNat, but the chance of poaching from there is tiny - small stunted trees in chaparral. still good to get the genetics though. You have one block that mostly consists of the LA basin and palos verdes peninsula and i'll be really surprised if you find any there.

Do you know why it requires iphone 6? iNat works on 5 and 5s.

Publicado por charlie quase 6 anos antes

@charlie. Interesting. I know little about the species in the southern distribution. I'm not sure why the iphone 6 preference. I think they are using an data collection tool they built. I'm hoping this exposure to the iNat community helps them realize "why build your own app?" use this well functioning platform.

Publicado por damontighe quase 6 anos antes

yeah, good call. I totally agree. The internet is littered with unused more specialized inaturalist clones as well as other similar things.

Publicado por charlie quase 6 anos antes

Is a smart phone an absolute requirement, or would an iPad with the latest version of the operating system suffice?

Publicado por tulipifera-ike quase 6 anos antes

@mikefitz you'd have to sign up at ask the project director Anya. I don't fully understand their technology requirements at this point in time.

Publicado por damontighe quase 6 anos antes

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