IABIN Invasives Information Network Biodiversity Informatics Symposium, Indaiatuba, October 22, 2002 Andrea Grosse, US Geological Survey, USA Creating an Inter-American Network for Invasive Species Information I 3 N
IABIN Invasives Information Network
Biodiversity Informatics Symposium, Indaiatuba, October 22, 2002Andrea Grosse, US Geological Survey, USA
Creating an Inter-American Network for Invasive Species Information
I3N
Ultimate Objectives Ultimate Objectives Ultimate Objectives Ultimate Objectives
Metadata on invasive species information
Web-accessible
Distributed– Local ownership
Integrated– Common standards
Pilot project
– Single entry point
– Search across nodes
I3N Pilot ProjectI3N Pilot ProjectI3N Pilot ProjectI3N Pilot Project
Seed grants from US State Department
– $12,000 ( x 11 countries)
– ICE/UC Davis – NBII– CABS/CI– NatureServe
Additional funding from NBII and organizations in countries
Technical collaboration
Planning to join
ParticipantsParticipantsParticipantsParticipants
11+ Countries
New countries joining without seed funding
Objectives of Pilot ProjectObjectives of Pilot ProjectObjectives of Pilot ProjectObjectives of Pilot Project
Develop standard catalogs in each country
Make catalogs Web-accessible
Build capacity
Species
Projects Data sets
Experts
• Microsoft Access 2000
• Three languages
• Freely available
I3N CataloguerI3N CataloguerI3N CataloguerI3N Cataloguer
Start entering metadata
I3N CataloguerI3N CataloguerI3N CataloguerI3N Cataloguer
I3N CataloguerI3N CataloguerI3N CataloguerI3N Cataloguer
Preliminary ResultsPreliminary ResultsPreliminary ResultsPreliminary Results
Preliminary ResultsPreliminary ResultsPreliminary ResultsPreliminary Results
Preliminary ResultsPreliminary ResultsPreliminary ResultsPreliminary Results
I3N Report
Collected specimens in the field…
Discovered possible invasive events…
Reported BenefitsReported BenefitsReported BenefitsReported Benefits
I3N Report
First digital data base on invasive species…
First data base of taxonomists…
National biodiversity database will incorporate I3N catalogs …
Reported BenefitsReported BenefitsReported BenefitsReported Benefits
I3N Report
Created educational material…
Provided list of game and fish species annexed to a national biodiversity law…
Reported BenefitsReported BenefitsReported BenefitsReported Benefits
Will guide national legislation process by creating legal bases for bio-security regulations
Will contribute to development of national invasive species strategy
I3N Report
Reported BenefitsReported BenefitsReported BenefitsReported Benefits
Created photo collection
Provides access to unpublished or scattered data
Developed relationship between institutions within country
Trained persons directly involved in data management
Contributed to list of species for a resolution on controlling entry of exotic species
Benefited biodiversity enabling activities under the CBD
Increased knowledge about invasive species management
Enabled identification of gaps in knowledge and institutional capacity
Country’s scientific community became interested in invasive species
Insufficient information
No documentation of presence and impact of invasives in natural ecosystems
Difficulty in identifying species
Not enough taxonomists and other scientists specializing in invasive species
Local ChallengesLocal ChallengesLocal ChallengesLocal Challenges
Data Access
Collections not cataloged, updated, or digitized
Information dispersed
Access denied
Local ChallengesLocal ChallengesLocal ChallengesLocal Challenges
Technical ChallengesTechnical ChallengesTechnical ChallengesTechnical Challenges
Terminology– “especie invasiva, invasora, alien, inmigrante,
no nativa, aclimatizada, no indígena, extraña, extranjera, exótica, naturalizada, xenobiota”
Cataloging tool– User-friendliness– Multi-lingual versions– Compatibility with local system– Cost & availability of application
Coordination ChallengesCoordination ChallengesCoordination ChallengesCoordination Challenges
Differences in co-financingCollaboration
– Native language of project leaders– Translation cost & effort– Listserv
• Review metadata fields & controlled vocabulary– Trilingual invasive species
management thesaurus
• Improve Cataloguer • Encourage XML output• Establish virtual community
Next StepsNext StepsNext StepsNext Steps
Outstanding IssuesOutstanding IssuesOutstanding IssuesOutstanding Issues
Updating catalogs
Integrating new countries
Harvesting and search tool–Integrate all XML records–Single search interface
Ideas
Tools
ParticipateParticipate!!ParticipateParticipate!!
Web page
Metadata
www.iabin-us.orgwww.iabin-us.orgwww.iabin-us.orgwww.iabin-us.orgClick on “I3N Project”