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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 |
Integrating Disciplines, Datasets and Information Tools to Stop Invasives
Scott Miller
Department of Entomology
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Washington,
DC 20560-0105, USA
Telephone:
(202) 357-1355.
Fax:
(202) 786-2894
Email: miller.scott@nmnh.si.edu
By their very nature, invasive species challenge traditional disciplinary and geographic boundaries in the way we study and manage them. Progress in recognizing and mitigating invasive species problems has been retarded by traditional thinking in terms of countries, sectors/disciplines and habitats. Invasive species do not recognize national boundaries. Invasive species issues require cooperation among agriculture, forestry, environment, and wildlife conservation agencies, as well as academia and the business community. The same species, an ant or weed for example, can be a pest of agriculture, livestock and conservation, so we must recognize a continuum of habitats, rather than separating agriculture from conservation.
Efforts to stop invasive species will be greatly enhanced by bringing together knowledge, tools, and approaches from a range of relevant disciplines. In particular, integrating various databases (including, for example, those specifically for invasive species, those for biodiversity, and those for agricultural pests) and extending them to take advantage of
GIS, visualization, and modeling tools will improve our ability to prevent the spread of invasive species. Several examples illustrate the possibilities: Hawaii Biological Survey projects understand the history of invasions through combining data from museum collections, historic surveys and modern surveys (www.hbs.bishopmuseum.org). Ecoport builds from an agricultural base to broader biodiversity knowledge (www.ecoport.org). The Species Analyst Program (www.habanero.nhm.ukans.edu) shows the potential of combining data from many collections. The Global Invasive Species Programme (http://jasper.stanford.edu/GISP/), Global Taxonomy Initiative (www.biodiv.org/programmes/cross-cutting/taxonomy/), Global Biodiversity Information Facility (www.gbif.org/), BioNet International (www.bionet-intl.org/), and other initiatives provide a way forward in international cooperation.