Tamarisk Beetle Map: Looking Back and Looking Forward
John Leary1*, Amanda Stahlke2
1RiversEdge West, Grand Junction, CO; jleary@riversedgewest.org
2Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, CO; astahlke@coloradomesa.edu
Since 2007, RiversEdge West (formerly Tamarisk Coalition) has produced an annual Tamarisk Beetle Map with the help of hundreds of researchers, land managers, and citizen scientists across the Southwest US and Northern Mexico. The map supports researchers, land managers, and the public by tracking the spread of tamarisk beetles (Diorhabda spp), a biological control agent released to control tamarisk (Tamarix spp) as they spread from their release points. This poster provides a look at the Tamarisk Beetle Map history and current status, and invites conversations around potential future directions.