Apps to help track invasive species

Apps to report invasive plant species have been developed in order to help track the problem in Ireland, writes Brian Byrne.

They were developed for both IOS and Android platforms by Limerick City Council, and show pictures of the four most common invasive plants Giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed and Winter heliotrope.

The apps encourage people to report sightings of the plants, and see the results on a map.

According to Anne Goggin, Limerick City and County Council, invasive plants pose the second greatest risk to wildlife after habitat destruction, and also pose a threat to water quality by leaving banks vulnerable to erosion.

You can find the app by searching for ‘Report Invasive Plants’ on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or use the links below.

iPhone App: http://bit.ly/iphoneinvasiveplants

Android App: http://bit.ly/androidinvasiveplants