POSTER PRESENTER: http://tinyurl.com/2024WSC-Kenton CO-AUTHOR: Dr. Rachel Toczydlowski, USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station TITLE: Identifying native jewelweeds using leaf traits: An effort fueled by citizen science and morphometrics ABSTRACT: Wetland species identification is often challenging given the prevalence of similar-looking species and the limited timeframe during which some traits are present. The two most prevalent species of native jewelweed in the northeastern United States are difficult to distinguish when they are not in flower. Introducing a different method of differentiating between them would allow for a greater timeframe of identification. Morphometric analysis, the mathematical quantification of shape, has been demonstrated to be a successful method for distinguishing species that lack obvious, distinct morphological differences. We quantified leaf shape, as well as size and color, of Impatiens capensis and Impatiens pallida and used statistical models to test whether leaf traits could be used to differentiate these species. In total, we analyzed 243 leaves that were collected from across North America by citizen scientists through iNaturalist for this project. We quantified 3 shape metrics, 4 size metrics, and 3 color metrics on each of these leaves. Leaf size, shape, and color all varied significantly by species. Impatiens pallida leaves were, on average longer, wider, rounder, less intensely red, and less intensely green than I. capensis leaves (P < 0.001 for these traits). Linear discriminant analysis assigned up to 100% of leaves to the correct species for I. capensis and up to 88% of the leaves to the correct species for I. pallida, depending on the combination of leaf traits used. Our approach demonstrates how morphometrics can be used with citizen science to discover and quantify new traits for identifying species. These traits can broaden the group of people that can identify species and extend the season over which species can be identified. BIO: Michelle Kenton is a undergraduate student at UW-Madison studying conservation biology and data science. She is also an intern for the US Department of State Virtual Student Federal Service program; she has been leading an independent research project on native wetland plants that leverages citizen science and morphometrics in partnership with US Forest Service.