Dogs Can Sniff-Out Invasive Plant Species With High Accuracy to Curb Their Destruction.
Researchers in Germany trained 31 pet dogs and their owners as volunteer teams to detect three invasive plant species, and 11 of the 12 teams that took the final field test passed.
A research team led by Grimm-Seyfarth reported in PLOS One that companion dogs and their owners can be trained as volunteer detection teams for invasive plants. The pilot project, called IGAMon-Dog, enrolled 30 volunteers with 31 dogs from six German federal states. One volunteer handled two dogs. The teams were split into two cohorts of 15 and 16, which began training in September 2021 and September 2022.
The dogs were trained to find one of three invasive species chosen for their effects on biodiversity, health and the economy: the knotweed complex (Fallopia spp.), Himalayan balsam and common ragweed. The authors note that studies cited in the paper estimate ragweed's health and economic impacts could cost up to €7.4 billion a year in Europe.
Training ran in three phases. For about six months, owners followed trainer-written plans online, posted training videos to a project forum for feedback and joined monthly online seminars. A practical seminar with an experienced detection dog trainer followed. Teams then trained on their own and finished with a field test. All training used positive reinforcement only.
Of the participants, 87.1% completed the online training and 77.4% completed the practical seminar. In the final phase, 35.5% conducted the field test, and 11 of the 12 teams that did so passed. The dogs also carried over their training well: 56% generalized on their own from thawed plant parts to fresh ones laid out for them.
Performance in the online training was linked mostly to social factors and the type of reward used. At the practical seminar, results were best for larger plant parts, for teams that had trained with all plant parts, and for handlers who adapted the training plan slightly. Neither earlier performance measure ultimately affected whether a team was operationally capable. Handlers' personal motivation determined whether a team finished the program.
The authors conclude that volunteer teams can monitor efficiently, but the intensive training must be carefully overseen by professional ecologists and dog trainers. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research funded the study.
Note: The headline suggests dogs detect invasive plants with high accuracy in general. The paper reports that 11 of 12 volunteer teams passed a field test, but only 35.5% of participants reached that test, and the authors stress that professionals must closely monitor the training.
At a Glance
- 31 companion dog-handler teams from six German federal states were trained in two cohorts, starting in September 2021 and September 2022.
- Target plants were the knotweed complex (Fallopia spp.), Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) and common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia).
- Of the 12 teams that conducted the final field test, 11 passed.
- Spontaneous generalization from thawed to fresh plant parts was 56%.
- 87.1% of participants finished online training and 77.4% finished the practical seminar.
Sources
This brief was written by Brightside Report from the reporting linked above. Spot an error? Request a correction.