Download 3) Aliens-L

Addressing biodiversity
impacts in risk analysis:
the need for information
exchange on invasiveness
Maj De Poorter, Mick Clout, Michael Browne
Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), IUCN
Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity,
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Definitions used
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Invasive alien species (IAS): alien species
whose introduction and/or spread threaten
biological diversity (CBD, 2002).
Introduction: movement by human agency,
indirect or direct, of an alien species outside of
its natural range - past or present (CBD 2002)
Note: can be within a country
Biodiversity = Biological Diversity: Diversity of
species (including lower taxa), habitats and
ecosystems
IAS affect plants
Photo: DOC
Plants can be
major IAS
Photo: Scott Kam
MAGNITUDE OF
THREAT: Invasive
alien species are a
large and growing
threat worldwide,
affecting biodiversity
and livelihoods
Photo: Fen Beed
UN Convention on Biological Diversity
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Article 8(h): ‘….prevent the
introduction of, control or
eradicate those alien species
that threaten ecosystems,
habitats and species.’
Decision VI/23: Guiding
principles, etc…
Decision VI/9: Global Plant
Strategy (Target 10)
Draft POW Island
Biodiversity
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
ISPM 11 - Rev 1 spells out
 Commodity itself can be invasive (e.g. the
garden plant can be a potential weed)
 Secondary effects of plant pest on other taxa
can be covered
 Effect on plant via effect on other taxa can be
covered
 Effects on native plants can be covered
Complexity of biodiversity impacts
The environmental impacts caused by IAS are
wide ranging and often more complex and
surprising than the impacts of, for example,
agricultural weeds
Complexity: “Dual Personality Species”
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Photo: S. Ziller
Complexity: “Time lags”, adaptation
Population size
Invasion easy
to notice –
hard to fight
Invasiveness
not easy to
notice – but
easy to fight
Time
Time
Complexity: “surprising” indirect effects
Invasive alien plant Chromolaena odorata, in
S. Africa: major invader of wetlands……
is a potential risk to:
CROCODILE
SEX RATIO
Complexity: ecosystem meltdown
Xmas Island :
millions of migrating
red crabs….
Killed by Yellow
crazy ants
Distant areas
affected
Giant snails &
Weeds
encouraged
Crabs killed
Crabs killed
Change litter
invertebrates
Crazy ants
Biodiversity
impacted
Scale insects
protected
Negative impacts:
trees
seedlings
species composition
litter breakdown
Solution
1) “guilty until proven innocent” - In the context of
alien species, unless there is a reasonable likelihood
that an introduction will be harmless, it should be
treated as likely to be harmful (IUCN 2000).
2) Prevention, prevention, prevention!
Prevention – Intentional introductions
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White list – of alien species where risk analysis led to a
determination that they are ‘low’ risk - and authorisation
for introduction has been granted.
Black list – of alien species where risk analysis led to a
determination that they are ‘high’ risk and therefore are
prohibited for introduction.
Grey list – (further) review / analysis is required before a
decision can be made. Introduction is not authorised at
this stage.
New Zealand applies this white-black-grey list approach to
all intentional introductions, and includes risks to
biodiversity….
Prevention: Unintentional introductions
Unintentional introductions minimised through
risk-based management of pathways
Example: NZ Risk analysis for exotic spiders associated
with imported table grapes. Risk analysis included
human health and risk to native fauna and flora.
Resulted in tightening of IHS.
Cooperation:
 Ministry Agriculture and Forestry
 Department of Conservation
 Ministry of Health
Prevention  Risk Analysis
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Under the IPPC, a risk analysis for a country
will assess
a) the risk of entry,
b) risk of establishment and
c) potential damage that the alien species
may cause
d) options for management
Including biodiversity risks is a challenge:
wider range of impacts, time lags, complexity,
 Information on prior invasiveness elsewhere
is critical
A) Risk of entry
Information required includes:
 pathways associated with a species in the past
 up to date information on the global distribution native and alien (can “get on” a pathway from
alien range too)
 Pathway : introduction, but also for “spread”
(spread usually has a large human component)
Risk of establishment: vulnerability of “receiving”
environment
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CLIMEX, GARP, BIOSECURE…
An invasive species can show a wider climate
and/or environmental tolerance in alien range
(e.g Possum in NZ, Salvinia in Sri Lanka)
Predictions & modeling should be based on
native and alien distributions
Potential damage: threats to Biodiversity
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Information about impacts caused elsewhere
(e.g. predation, competition, hybridisation, etc)
can be used
IAS + exposure of native biodiversity  impacts
Biodiversity Impacts caused by IAS will be
different from one area to another
It will usually not be possible, nor should it be
required, to predict the exact details
(“PRA is a decision making tool
not an ecosystem model” Randall)
Potential Damage: Risk of Invasiveness
"Only one factor has
consistently high correlation
with invasiveness: whether or
not the species is invasive
elsewhere“ (Wittenberg et al.
2001).
Photo: Landcare
Management options
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Information on prevention, early detection and
rapid response, eradication and control methods
used elsewhere
Lessons learned from success and failure
need to be shared widely
To summarise
Globally sourced information is
needed
 ecological characteristics
 prior invasiveness
 biodiversity impacts caused
 global distribution (alien
range as well as native)
 introduction pathways
 pathways for spread
(including human)
 management, and lessons
learned
ISSG’s role
The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of
IUCN is involved in several "vehicles" for such
international information exchange, including
1) Manages the Global Invasive Species
Database (GISD)
2) Planned development of a "global register of
invasive species“
3) The listserver Aliens-L
4) Contributes to Global Invasive Species
Information Network (GISIN)
Global Invasive Species Database
• International cooperation
• Collaborative effort of ISSG, UOA, Landcare, NBII
• 50,700 hits per day (700 individual users)
www.issg.org/database and www.invasivespecies.net/database
Global Invasive Species Database
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Authoritative information on IAS that affect
biodiversity
Management tool as well as raising awareness
Standardised, simple format
Free & easily available
Globally sourced information for local deployment
 Ecology, pathways
 Distribution and biostatus (by country)
 Management (generic and location specific)
 References, links, contacts
2) Development global register invasive species
Aim of such global register / masterlist:
 Provide a warning that an alien species has
been considered to have biodiversity impacts
anywhere in the world
 Users can follow up on those cases that are
most relevant to them
Information from
 National and regional sources
 Agencies, but also practitioners
 Will include information not formally published
 ISSG and IUCN expert networks.
3) Aliens-L
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Dedicated to IAS information and related issues
Focus on environmental invasive species
You can make use of Alien-L without subscribing to it
Searchable archive: http://cain.nbii.gov/cgi-bin/aliens-l.cgi
Practitioners helping each other
Email based rather than internet
Anarchic and grassroots
600 subscribers
It works!
R.Wittenberg
4) The Global Invasive Species Information Network
(GISIN)
 Will provide a platform through which IAS data and
information from participating databases can be
accessed.
 Build the capacity of network members - ‘capacity
building’ database that will be offered at no cost
 ISSG contributions to development of the GISIN
include development of an exchange standard for
sharing IAS information (see the draft Invasive
Species Profile Schema Login: ias Password: ias2).
https://www.biodiv.org/doc/restricted/gisin/default.as
px
Food for thought (1) : Internet  Digital Divide
Providing internet access is not enough - it
disenfranchises those with slow, unreliable or NO
internet access (e.g S Pacific, Large Parts of Africa,…)
Food for thought (2): Conservation Commons
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Information is power
Social equity – communities must be able to
solve their own IAS problems
IUCN believes that information for Conservation
must be freely available
Conservation Commons has the following
principles:
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Open Access
Mutual Benefit
Rights and Responsibilities
CONCLUSION
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IAS management requires International
information exchange (as well as national and
regional) – prior invasiveness information is
critical
Structured as well as “grass roots” approaches
are required
Internet is good but not the whole answer
Information that will assist IAS management for
conservation must be freely available
We welcome assistance – partnerships,
resources
Prevention of IAS protects biodiversity,
livelihoods, economy, health
Prevention of IAS protects current
and future trade
Thank you
www.issg.org