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Introduction Invasive Alien Species: The Nature of the Problem Invasive Pathways and
Prevention: The North American Great Lakes as a Case Study Australian Perspectives on
Marine Bio-security and the Role of Risk Assessment Infectious Diseases and Disease Vectors as
Invasive Species: Public Health Perspectives Integrating
Disciplines, Datasets and Information Tools to Stop Invasives Invasive Species in
Eastern Africa: Regional Status, Initiatives, and Linkages Efforts to Stop Invasive Species in Southern
Africa The Role of Science in
Shaping International Policy on Invasive Species |
Stopping the Invasions: International Scientific Efforts to Stop Invasive Species
Invasive species are, by definition, an international problem. Their movement and spread across borders incurs billions of dollars in prevention, control, and damage costs annually worldwide. (For an analysis of costs in the U.S. alone, see Pimentel, D., L. Lach, R. Zuniga, and D. Morrison. 2000. Environmental and economic costs of nonindigenous species in the United States. BioScience 50: 53-65.) Much of the attention and resources for invasive species have gone into controlling relatively few high-impact species, with far less devoted to broad preventive measures. Because it is far less expensive to stop invasions before they happen, the economic rationale for focusing on prevention is compelling.
In conjunction with the 2001 AAAS Annual Meeting, the Africa Program co-organized an international symposium to examine how scientific information from around the world is being used to prevent biological invasions. The co-organizers were Alan Bornbusch, AAAS (abornbus@aaas.org), and Elizabeth Lyons, National Science Foundation (elyons@nsf.gov). Dr. Lyons was moderator. The symposium focussed on intervening in the early steps of the invasion process, i.e., on identifying potential invasive species and their movement pathways, on preventing that movement, and on detecting successful movement.
- What information resources, e.g., databases in biodiversity, agriculture, and fisheries, are needed to identify and classify invasive species and their vectors?
- What kind of data from natural and social sciences are needed to develop effective risk assessment models for different invasives?
- What partnerships need to be forged to develop and link the expertise (e.g., parataxonomists, port inspectors, quarantine agents) needed around the world?
- What efforts are needed at a global level to bring awareness and effective science-based tools to all nations?
- What are effective ways to make scientific information accessible and useful for formulating national and international policy on invasives?
Speakers were from the U.S., as well as Australia, South Africa, and Kenya. They represented both the research and policy communities.
Following are abstracts from the symposium, as well as contact information for speakers, sources of other information, and links to other websites of interest.