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The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Invasive Aquatic Plant Program (CAES IAPP) is using GIS to determine the distribution of invasive aquatic plants in Connecticut lakes and ponds. During lake surveys, plant abundances at georeferenced transect points are recorded using a Trimble GeoXT and then downloaded to ArcGIS 9.1. Observed plant areas, converted into georeferenced polygons, are also added to the map. These maps have been used by CAES IAPP to determine the effect of invasive species on native aquatic plant communities, to compare the intra-lake growth of invasive aquatic plant populations and to monitor the introduction of invasive plants to new lakes and ponds in Connecticut. These maps also are displayed on CAES IAPP's website (http://www.ct.gov/caes ) where the information has been used for educational purposes and management decisions. |