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Accepted manuscript

MilfoilMapper: A web-based tool to inform Eurasian watermilfoil management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 November 2025

Ashley L. Wolfe*
Affiliation:
Research Associate, Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
Alex W. Bajcz
Affiliation:
Quatitative Ecologist, Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center, St. Paul, MN, USA
Raymond M. Newman
Affiliation:
Professor, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
Ryan A. Thum
Affiliation:
Professor, Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Ashley L. Wolfe; Email: ashley.wolfe3@montana.edu Mailing address: Plant Bioscience Building 119 Montana State University Bozeman, MT 59717
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Abstract

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Invasive watermilfoil strains can differ in their growth, spread, impacts, and herbicide response. For example, strains of Eurasian (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) and hybrid (M. spicatum × M. sibiricum) watermilfoil have been characterized as resistant or susceptible to specific herbicides (e.g., fluridone and 2,4-D). Identifying resistant and susceptible strains can inform managers as to whether a specific herbicide should be used to treat a water body. However, to date, no centralized location existed to house and share M. spicatum and M. spicatum × M. sibiricum strain and herbicide response information. To address this need, we built MilfoilMapper, a publicly available, user-friendly, R Shiny application that houses invasive watermilfoil strain distribution and herbicide response information. To date, we have identified 290 strains from over 300 lakes across the United States sent by state agencies, aquatic plant managers, and citizen scientists. Although some strains are found only in a single lake, some strains have been found in multiple lakes. Therefore, strain information obtained from either the field or the lab can be applied to additional lakes where these strains are found. We encourage people to incorporate genetic surveying and monitoring into their M. spicatum management plans to help identify strains that should be prioritized for herbicide characterization. We believe MilfoilMapper will facilitate and encourage these actions by providing a centralized, interactive platform for tracking M. spicatum and M. spicatum × M. sibiricum strain data enabling lake managers, stakeholders, and state agencies to share experiences and resources to improve the efficacy and efficiency of invasive M. spicatum management.

Information

Type
Research Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Weed Science Society of America