development
projects
location Worldwide dates Ongoing project team Gareth Richards, Lucinda Charles, Mark Palmer, David Simpson, Nicola Wakefield
the Invasive Species Compendium
Invasive species are species not native to an ecosystem which threaten habitats, biodiversity, food security, health or economic development through their introduction, establishment and distribution.
so what’s the problem? The global cost of damage caused by invasive species has been estimated at US$1.5 trillion per year – close to 5 per cent of global GDP. A more recent estimate of the cost in Europe alone is €12bn. Invasive species affect many ecosystems and pose one of the biggest threats to biodiversity worldwide. Growth in trade, transport, travel and tourism inevitably increases the intentional or accidental introduction of organisms to new environments and it is widely predicted that climate change will make matters worse. CABI has a long history of researching the behaviour and management of invasive species.
what is this project doing? CABI developed the Invasive Species Compendium (ISC) in partnership with an international development consortium to address the global need for accessible information on invasive species. The ISC, a comprehensive online knowledgebase covering recognition, biology, distribution, impact and management of the world’s invasive species, is the most extensive and authoritative compilation on the subject. Content is derived from thousands of peer-reviewed expert contributors, backed up by compilations of knowledge and
KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE
research. It offers extensive coverage of all invasive species, from every taxonomic group (excluding human pathogens), with fast and easy navigation between text, images, maps and databases. The ISC is essential for resource managers, extension workers, policymakers and researchers in agriculture and the environment. Freely available to all on an open access basis, it includes detailed datasheets comprising fully referenced sections on taxonomy and nomenclature, distribution, habitat, identification, biology and ecology, species associations, pathways of introduction, impacts and management, complemented by images and maps, supported by abstracts and full text articles. invasive species datasheets Over 1,500 datasheets on invasive species and animal diseases have been developed for inclusion in the ISC: • 35 per cent plants (aquatic and terrestrial) - 30 per cent pests and pathogens of agricultural and environmental plants (terrestrial) - 15 per cent aquatic animals - 15 per cent animal pathogens - 5 per cent terrestrial vertebrates • animal disease - over 120 animal diseases and associated pathogens • habitat information on risk of species invasion, impacts and management • pathway information on pathways for introduction and dispersal - causes (why a species is transported) - vectors (physical means of transport) • summary information on associated species library Full text articles complementing the individual species datasheets. Articles can be easily searched for on the library page or the home page. bibliographic database Over 79,000 abstracts with metadata are available via CAB Direct. These CAB abstracts include references cited in the datasheets of relevant research literature and are updated weekly. The CABI full text archive gives access to more than 1,400 articles. CAB Direct provides linking services.
results so far The ISC launched in April 2012, with 1,520 full datasheets, 6,980 basic datasheets, 57 library documents, 1,130 full text articles, over 780 glossary definitions, and over 75,000 bibliographic records.
www.cabi.org/isc partners European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) contributors The Invasive Species Compendium could not have been produced without the collaboration of experts from around the world. sponsors A consortium of 29 organizations
contact CABI, Nosworthy Way Wallingford Oxfordshire OX10 8DE UK T: +44 (0)1491 832111 F: +44 (0)1491 829198 E: enquiries@cabi.org www.cabi.org
ID-ISC-10-12
Gareth Richards, Project Manager