Information services - Directories of Resources

This site which is the culmination of the efforts of many scientists; national; regional and international organisations is a collaborative effort to address the issue IAS in the Caribbean. Entities such as the Caribbean Plant Health Directors Forum (CPHDF) organised mainly by the USDA/APHIS and CARICOM; the project: Mitigating the Threats of Invasive Alien Species in the Insular Caribbean (MTIASIC) funded by the Global Fund for the Environment (GEF) with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the lead implementing agency and the Centre for Agriculture and Bio-Sciences International (CABI) as the lead executing agency; and Caribbean Invasive Species Working Group (CISWIG) are some of the main groups actively tackling the issue of IAS in the Caribbean. This site documents some of the key actions to addressing this issue in a way that promotes the actions; the results achieved. It will also give details on a range of IAS of importance to the Caribbean while highlighting the people and organisations that are pioneering the work with these species that can potentially threaten our health and livelihoods; disrupt both intra-regional and international trade and impact our environment by threatening native and endemic Caribbean biodiversity.

Among the many barriers to achieving the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and of the other biodiversity-related conventions, the lack of public awareness on the importance of biodiversity ranks as one of the most serious. Without an awareness of the importance of biodiversity to human well-being, citizens and stakeholders are not likely to take the steps needed to mainstream biodiversity considerations into their daily lives and practices. The lack of public awareness also contributes to the relatively low political priority given to biodiversity issues. The Convention’s Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) programme is an important instrument for this target. This site provides information on the Aichi Biodiversity Target 1, resources, toolkits, case studies and links to other relevant information.

Convention on Biological Diversity. This page provides access to sources of information on experiences with invasive alien species, including case studies and assessments. The list of sources is not meant to be comprehensive, but rather is intended to focus on some key sources that themselves contain a variety of information on experiences with invasive alien species

Our fundamental reliance on biodiversity and ecosystem services offers significant opportunities to more consistently recognize and manage biodiversity’s services for human health and to contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use at all scales. We can improve our understanding of the complex linkages between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human health as well as promote co-benefits through joint policies and implementation activities by strengthening collaboration with the health sector and better integrating biodiversity into national health strategies and programmes and health into national biodiversity strategies and activities.

Impact assessment is the process of identifying the future consequences of a current or proposed action. It is used to ensure that projects, programmes and policies are economically viable, socially equitable and environmentally sustainable. Work under the Convention seeks to support efforts to adequately reflect biodiversity considerations in impact assessments. Guidance developed under the Convention helps to decide which aspects of biodiversity may need to be monitored and how to carry this out in a cost-effective way.

The issue of liability and redress in the Convention’s context raises many questions, inter alia: is a liability and redress regime under the Convention appropriate at all? What is damage to biological diversity? How do you calculate adequate monetary compensation if the damage is irreversible and reinstatement impossible? What would restoration look like? Should there be a focus on state responsibility or state liability or both?

Paragraph 2 of Article 14 of the Convention provides that: "the Conference of the Parties shall examine, on the basis of studies to be carried out, the issue of liability and redress, including restoration and compensation, for damage to biological diversity, except where such liability is a purely internal matter. By this, the Convention gives little guidance, but leaves the issue to be decided at a later stage.

There is broad recognition that the seas face unprecedented human-induced threats from industries such as fishing and transportation, the effects of waste disposal, excess nutrients from agricultural runoff, and the introduction of exotic species. This site provides links to national reports, case studies, toolkits and guidelines, publications and other related information.

National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are the principal instruments for implementing the Convention at the national level (Article 6). The Convention requires countries to prepare a national biodiversity strategy (or equivalent instrument) and to ensure that this strategy is mainstreamed into the planning and activities of all those sectors whose activities can have an impact (positive and negative) on biodiversity.

A list of national reports and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans from different countries.

Protected areas constitute an important stock of natural, cultural and social capital, yielding flows of economically valuable goods and services that benefit society, secure livelihoods, and contribute to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals. Moreover, protected areas are key to buffering unpredictable impacts of impending climate change. The CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas provides a globally-accepted framework for creating comprehensive, effectively managed and sustainably funded national and regional protected area systems around the globe.

The tourism industry represents one of the main sectors in the global economy, often referred to as the world’s largest single industry. Harnessing the opportunities and dealing with the challenges of the largest ongoing migration of people in history is of utmost importance, and is particularly significant for developing countries.

The Secretariat’s tourism activities provide bridges and links between various thematic programmes to ultimately facilitate the implementation of the Convention. These programmes, such as island biodiversity, marine and coastal biodiversity, forests, and invasive species, are crucial to a complementary approach to tourism issues.

The mission of the Center for Invasive Species & Ecosystem Health is to serve a lead role in development, consolidation and dissemination of information and programs focused on invasive species, forest health, natural resource and agricultural management through technology development, program implementation, training, applied research and public awareness at the (USA) state, regional, national and international levels. It includes a list of websites, publications, images and information.

To help those tackling the invasive species challenge, The DAISIE website provides a 'one-stop-shop' for information on biological invasions in Europe. Particularly European (but with some global coverage), the search system allowing searches on a variety of aspects of IAS (Conservation/restoration, Ecology / biology, Economy / impact, genetics, legislation / administration, management, pathways, physiology, risk assessment, taxonomy) and restriction to country, taxon or aquatic or terrestrial area.

EASIN aims at increasing the access to data and information on alien species in Europe. EASIN facilitates the exploration of existing alien species information from distributed resources through a network of interoperable web services, following internationally recognized standards and protocols.

The site provides lists of invasive and potentially invasive alien species, risk and pathway analyses, management standards, links to relevant resources, and other information services (database, bulletin, reporting service etc.) Wild plants can be threatened by the introduction and spread of pests, and notably by 'invasive alien plants' which can seriously disturb and destroy natural plant communities. Therefore in the early 2000s, EPPO started to work more specifically on invasive alien plants, in particular to analyze the risks presented by specific invasive alien plant species for the EPPO region and recommend measures to prevent their introduction and spread via international trade."

Alien species database, searchable by species, taxonomic group, habitat and country. Covers all groups for Europe.

This site provides a list of species profiles for significant pest species impacting forests and the forest sector. Each factsheet contains information on the species' identification, distribution, ecology, pathways, symptoms and damage, and possible control measures.

The purpose of this course is to provide general training for border clearance officials and others on pre-border, border, and post-border strategies and approaches for preventing the introduction and spread of invasive species alien species (IAS).

The GISD focuses on invasive alien species that threaten native biodiversity and covers all taxonomic groups from micro-organisms to animals and plants in all ecosystems. Species information is either supplied by or reviewed by expert contributors from around the world. It is managed by the Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of the Species Survival Commission of the IUCN-World Conservation Union.
Many of the species profiles feature images, include a description section and, where available, links to Diagnostic information sources such as for the ant profiles and others. They features distribution information at country level and also at site level including protected areas and ecosystem, admin unit level, island etc. The database entries are rich in management information.

The Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) assists islands in addressing one of the world’s greatest challenges: to conserve and sustainably utilize the invaluable island natural resources that support people, cultures, and livelihoods in their island homes around the world. It brings together island nations and nations with islands — small and large, developing and developed — to mobilize leadership, increase resources and share skills, knowledge, technologies and innovations in a cost-effective and sustainable way that will catalyze action for conservation and sustainable livelihoods on islands.

This document is a manual providing advice and information to the development of national ballast water management strategies. It contains a step-by-step guide and a list of useful resources at the end.

This document is a manual providing advice and information to the development of national ballast water management strategies. It contains a step-by-step guide and a list of useful resources at the end.

This website hosts the National Invasive Species Database for Brasil. The site contains information on risk assessments of non-native species, case studies of IAS in Brazil, links to published articles, legal regulations and a photo gallery of invasive species.

As part of the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN), the I3N Invasive Species Network is a regional network of people and institutions sharing information on invasive species of all taxa.

I3N integrates information from countries throughout the Americas to support the detection and management of invasive alien species. I3N provides capacity building and an array of electronic tools for information management and increased access to information. Pages within the site include risk assessment tools and a vector pathway analysis tool.

The site contains a database of invasive species of all taxa found in Mexico. Information about these IAS have been obtained from experts, scientific literature, and from projects supported by CONABIO. For each species listed, information on its introduction route and status of invasion are provided. The list is regularly updated. This page presents the lists of invasive species reported for our country and some whose Mexico entry is imminent, or would have severe consequences for our biodiversity. These lists are in constant review, due to the dynamic nature of the problem, so it will be updated on a regular basis.

An international agreement on plant health with 178 current signatories. It aims to secure coordinated, effective action to prevent and to control the introduction and spread of pests of plants and plant products.
The Convention extends beyond the protection of cultivated plants to the protection of natural flora and plant products. It takes into consideration both direct and indirect damage by pests, so it includes weeds. It also covers vehicles, aircraft and vessels, containers, storage places, soil and other objects or material that can harbour or spread pests.
The Convention provides a framework and a forum for international cooperation, harmonization and technical exchange between contracting parties.
Its implementation involves collaboration by National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs) — the official services established by governments to discharge the functions specified by the IPPC — and Regional Plant Protection Organisations (RPPOs), which can act as coordinating bodies at a regional level to achieve the objectives of the IPPC. The Secretariat of the IPPC is provided by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

The Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use Programme (MWBP) will devise a regional strategy to address the existing and potential impacts of IAS in the LMB. This preliminary report is the first step in moving towards developing a strategy to manage IAS issues in the LMB.

The website provides an inventory of landscaping plants, which are escaping from nurseries, farms, flowerbeds etc and invading into natural or semi-natural areas such as forests. There is an index of families of invasive species. A genera search fior these species can also be performed. This list is assembled landscaping plants that are mentioned escaping from nurseries, farms, flower beds, etc. or invading into natural/semi-natural area as secondary forests, natural forests.
YOSHIOKA, Toshiya (2005) Preliminary Weed Risk Assessment of Landscaping Plants, Landscape Research Japan 68(4), 296-300

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The ISSG is a global network of scientific and policy experts on invasive species, Organised under the auspices of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It aims to reduce threats to natural ecosystems and the native species they contain by increasing awareness of invasive alien species, and of ways to prevent, control or eradicate them.

The ISSG promotes and facilitates the exchange of invasive species information and knowledge across the globe and ensures the linkage between knowledge, practice and policy so that decision making is informed. The two core activity areas of the ISSG are policy and technical advice, and, information exchange through our online resources and tools and through networking. The ISSG manages Aliens-L, a list server dedicated to invasive species that threaten biodiversity. It allows users to freely seek and share information on invasive species and related issues. It also maintains a Facebook Page. .

Focused on the threat of invasive species on native species and ecosystems on islands. The site enables users to search the database directly by species, or by location, or by impacts of invasive species and their outcomes on native populations. With each species entry, there is an invasive threat summary, and a threat management summary detailing possible conservation strategies and past case studies. IBIS was developed by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group in response to feedback from island conservation managers that there was a need for better access to data and information on invasive alien species on islands and how to manage this insidious threat. IBIS aims to record and provide information on the impacts of invasive alien species on native species on islands (with a focus on those that are classified as ‘threatened’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species- Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU)), and the management of this threat.

The page linked to describes databases available online related to invasive plant species of North America, particularly the USA, but with some other national and global databases listed.

The website provides galleries of high-resolution images of invasive alien species of all taxa. Biological information and other tools are also provided. The site also offers a plant biosecurity toolkit, a seed library, and biosecurity information tools. PaDIL – High quality images and Information tools designed for Biosecurity and Biodiversity. Biosecurity and Biodiversity : protecting against invasive pests and diseases and discovery of native species
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Links to awareness products on Parkinsonia such as identifying cards and brochures for the public.

The site provides a resource kit for cat and rodent eradication. The kit includes template documents along with working examples that need to be written for eradication projects, guidelines for eradication, a glossary of terms and other additional information and links to global organisations related to the issue of invasive species management. The kit can be downloaded into a printable form. The PII Resource Kit provides project managers with a systematic approach to planning and implementing rodent and cat eradication projects on islands in the Pacific.

The need for the Resource Kit came from PII's experience working on invasive species projects with Pacific agencies. Because invasive species management is a relatively new tool for island restoration in the Pacific, a common constraint for agencies was access to an authoritative and consistent process and a source of information to effectively address the complexity of invasive species management.

To address this need PII, in collaboration with world leading eradication experts, developed a stepwise process and supporting tools to provide project managers with access to current eradication best practice. Use of the Resource Kit will give Pacific agencies the ability to embark on their invasive species management projects with greater confidence of achieving their desired island restoration goals.

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The website offers a information on the ecology, impacts, method of introduction, method of identification, biological control, measures of prevention and control and alternative garden substitutes for the invasive weed, purple loosestrife. Brochures are also available for download. The website also has a function which enables users to report observed infestations at their locations. The wetlands of western Canada are facing a serious threat – damage caused by the spread of an invasive plant, purple loosestrife.

This is a collection of papers and presentatiosn from the Regional Workshop on Invasive Alien Species and Terrestrial Ecosystem Rehabilitation for Western Indian Ocean island states. It contains studies of species-led invasive alien species management and area-led management. There is also a list of relevant resources at the end of the document.

Links to relevant resources on the management of rubber vine e.g. awareness products, weed management guide and fact sheet, and maps.

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of serrated tussock (Nassella trichotoma) in Australia. This includes a national priority action framework, a best practice management guide, a best practice management manual, management and distribution maps as well as links to national strategies.

The database provides information on invasive alien plants in Swaziland, including taxonomical and botanical information, original range, a measure of invasiveness, invasive plant maps and photos. A project was carried out in 2003/2004 by Kate Braun, Sikhumbuzo Dlamini and Titus Dlamini, under the auspices of the Swaziland Environmental Authority, to compile existing data on alien invasive plants of Swaziland. One product of this project was the creation of an online database of Swaziland's alien/non-indigenous plants, with distribution maps and photographs or illustrations.

Invasive Plants Atlas of the United States – Listing Sources

The USFWS pages on Aquatic Invasive Species includes a range of information on aquatic invasives in the USA, including policies and the Aquatic Invasive Species programme.

The document is part of a series of articles concerning the use of species with high invasive potential for biofuel production. Included are the invasive risks of biofuel crops, prevention and mitigation options, case studies and definitions, a list of relevant resources, as well as a guide for policy makers, investors and developers.

The site provides a plant identification key in the form of an image gallery featuring the botanical characteristics of different groups of pest plants (broadleaf, sedges, aquatic plants etc.) in California, in order to assist with their identification and possible management. There is also a list of weeds, species profiles, and links to a weed identification tool. This key includes the most common weeds found in California lawns. Other species may occur but are not of major importance in turf. Because flowering parts are often mowed and not seen in turf, this key was developed using vegetative characteristics. Identifying weed species is essential for choosing appropriate management practices.

This page contains information and useful links to the identification, ecology, legislation, management and strategic plan of the African Boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum).

This site provides information and usefull links to the identification, management and other information on asparagus weeds in Australia. This includes the species: Asparagus aethiopicus, Asparagus africanus, Asparagus asparagoides, Asparagus declinatus, Asparagus plumosus, and Asparagus scandens. Included in this site are links to identifying the different Asparagus species, a best practice manual, priority framework and a national strategic plan.

This page contains extensive information on the management of bitou bush /boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera). Information includes national priority action frameworks, management maps, management manuals, monitoring manuals, and national strategic plans.

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of bridal creeper (Asparagus asparagoides) in Australia. This includes the national priority framework, management and distribution maps,a best practice management manual, and other resources e.g. national strategy plans.

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana) in Australia. This includes the national priority framework, a control manual, management and distribution maps, and national strategies

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of Chilean needle grass (Nassella neesiana)) in Australia. This includes a national priority action framework, a best practice management manual, management and potential distribution maps, and national strategies.

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of gorse (Ulex europaeus) in Australia. This includes a national priority action framework, management and potential distribution maps, a best practice manual, and links to gorse national strategies.

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of lantana (Lantana camara) in Australia. This includes a national priority action framework, management and potential distribution maps, remote sensing maps, a best practice manual and decision support tool, national plans for lantana, contacts for the National Lantana Management Group and links to national strategies.

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of Opuntioid cacti (Opuntia spp., Cylindropuntia spp., Austrocylindroppuntia spp.) in Australia. This includes a national strategic plan, a weed management guide, and management and distribution maps as well as links to identification resources.

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) in Australia. This includes a national priority action framework, a management manual, and management and distribution maps as well as links to national strategies.

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of prickly acacia (Acacia nilotica subsp. indica) in Australia. This includes a national priority action framework, a best practice management manual, management and distribution maps as well as links to national strategies.

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of Sagittaria (Sagittaria platyphylla) in Australia. This includes a plant identification resource and a link to download the national strategy.

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) in Australia. This includes an identification resource and a management guide.

This page provides information and links to useful resources on the management of willows (Salix spp.) in Australia. This includes a national priority action framework, research priorities and other resources, a management guide, management and distribution maps as well as links to national strategies.