OakMapper
A citizen science webGIS for mapping and tracking the spread of Sudden Oak Death (Phytophthora ramorum) across California and Oregon.
- forest-health
- citizen-science
- webGIS
- California
OakMapper is a web-based GIS application developed by GIF in collaboration with the Kelly Research Lab at UC Berkeley. It enables citizen scientists, land managers, and researchers to report and visualize the spread of Sudden Oak Death (SOD), caused by the invasive water mold Phytophthora ramorum.
The disease has killed millions of tanoak and coast live oak trees across California and Oregon. OakMapper aggregates field observations submitted by volunteers and professional surveyors into an interactive map, providing near-real-time tracking of the disease front and helping researchers identify high-risk areas.
The project demonstrates GIF’s commitment to participatory science and open geospatial tools for natural resource management.