TERMS OF REFERENCE

INVASIVE SPECIES IN THE AMERICAS PILOT PROJECTS

BACKGROUND

In December 1996, leaders of the governments of the Americas met at the Santa Cruz (Bolivia) Summit on Sustainable Development. Government leaders recognized the importance of reliable and accurate information on biodiversity in decision-making and the need for cooperation among the countries of the Western Hemisphere to link information sources together. Summit leaders agreed to:

Seek to establish an Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network, primarily through the Internet, that will promote compatible means of collection, communication and exchange of information relevant to decision-making and education on biodiversity conservation, and that builds upon such initiatives such as the Clearing-House Mechanism provided for in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the Man and the Biosphere Network (MABNet), and the Biodiversity Conservation Information System (BCIS), an initiative of nine IUCN programs and partners.

The above declaration, Initiative 31, prompted a series of informal meetings among interested parties, which were followed by two OAS-supported Experts' Meetings regarding the establishment of the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN). At the last Experts' Meeting (January 1998), the United States Geological Survey, Biological Resource Division (USGS/BRD) announced the availability of funds from an inter-agency agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). These funds are designed to help support planning of the IABIN concept by addressing key issues deemed important and of mutual interest to planning experts. By focusing on such issues, IABIN will advance from the concept phase to start-up operations.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Intentional introduction and unintentional transport of biological organisms from their native ranges to new areas are increasing as a consequence of increasing human travel and trade. Intentionally introduced alien species provide food, fibre, pharmaceuticals, industrial materials, horticultural materials, recreational resources, and amenities. Most alien species cause no demonstrable harm. However, a growing number of plants, animals, and pathogens have established free living populations, of which some have become invasive in natural areas, waterways, crop lands, and rangelands. These invasive alien species (IAS) are causing significant and increasing impacts to native species, ecosystems, and the national economies, and pose increasing risks to human health.

Documenting current invasions and preventing new invasions are vital to the protection of biological diversity in all countries. Data on non-native invasive species present in nations of the western hemisphere are incomplete, and data that are available are scattered in a variety of published and unpublished accounts and databases. This makes it difficult or impossible for land managers to identify, much less properly manage, invasive species on their lands. In addition, the lack of data makes it more difficult to prevent invasions by new species into areas to which they have not yet been introduced, because access to information on their previous invasive ability is mostly unavailable. Studies have shown that the best predictor of whether a new species will become invasive is whether it has invaded elsewhere.

Only a network of invasive species databases from many nations will contain the information needed to make such predictions and hence prohibit entry of species with high potential to invade. The databases will also contain information on how to control each species listed which may be crucial to efforts to quickly eradicate or contain these species when they are first discovered in a new area. Eradication and containment are most possible and cost-effective for species that have just been detected and whose populations are still small.

Potential users of a network of databases include the following:

• Government agencies and non-profit organizations which manage natural areas will be able to obtain accurate information on which species are invasive or potentially invasive in particular habitats.
• Agencies responsible for pest control and prevention and importers of new non-native species (e.g. nurseries, botanical gardens, the pet industry) will use the network of databases to determine if a species of interest has invaded elsewhere, and therefore should be considered for restriction. (In the U.S., several botanical gardens and other private organizations have indicated willingness to voluntarily drop plans to import species known to invade and become serious natural area pests elsewhere).
• Agencies, organizations, and resource users will be able to access information on control methods that have been useful in other areas, reducing the need to commit resources for experimentation and increasing the speed at which control efforts can begin.

Experts at the IABIN meetings pointed out their particular concerns over invasive vascular plants and fresh water fish. In the U.S., a coordinated national effort underway to address threats from invasive species includes development of a Internet-based national information system as part of the National Biological Information Infrastructure, being coordinated by the USGS/BRD. The IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group has identified development of a network of national invasive species databases as a top priority. The pilot projects proposed in this TOR will initiate development of that network here in the Western hemisphere and will allow these databases to be linked with others from the eastern hemisphere and Oceania as they develop.

GOAL STATEMENT

IABIN experts plan to meet in Brazil in September, 1998, to launch IABIN. The goal of this Terms of Reference shall be to present to the IABIN experts at that meeting proposals for two pilot projects, in which the USGS/BRD and collaborating partners in the Americas develop a coordinated network of national information systems on invasive species, which IABIN representative can present to potential sponsoring entities to obtain financial support to proceed..

OBJECTIVE

In response to this TOR, two proposals on invasive species information systems -- one specifically addressing vascular plants and the other specifically addressing freshwater fish -- will be developed. Each proposal will set forth objectives and a detailed work plan for designing, developing, testing and managing a prototype invasive species information system. The system will locate, systematically document, and provide electronic access to sources of information on the taxonomy, distribution, ecology, impacts, control (including both successful and unsuccessful efforts), and management of non-native invasive species, and facilitate the synthesis, analysis, and integration of data to meet user needs.

Although cooperators may elect to consider invasive species in other groups, the primary initial focus will be on fish and vascular plants, by virtue of the large number of these invasive species in the Hemisphere and the interests expressed by IABIN experts.

WORKPLAN

1. Coordinate the development of the proposals in cooperation with USGS/BRD, The Nature Conservancy, and the California Information Center for the Environment at the University of. California at Davis, which together have extensive experience in coordinating the development of biodiversity databases and information systems (including invasive species), and in providing training to assist cooperating agencies and organizations in the Hemisphere in building their technical capabilities and in working together to develop a coordinated information-sharing network. Coordinate with those addressing the Institutional/Legal and Technical Issues TORs to ensure a consistent perspective, avoid duplication of effort, and leverage the work being addressed through those TORs.

2. Contact potential collaborating institutions in the Americas to determine their interest in participating in developing the proposals under this Terms of Reference. Information will be provided to the potential collaborating institutions on the invasive species problems and existing information systems worth considering as models. Collaborators will be identified on the basis of their interest in invasive species and in developing or improving an informational capacity on this topic. Cooperating partners can be either government agencies or non-governmental organizations. The goal is to have at least 6 collaborators, including institutions in at least 2 temperate and 4 tropical countries.

3. Survey collaborating institutions in the Americas to:

a. Identify invasive species, and associated threats, of particular interest.

b. Identify available information sources in the country/region on invasives. These sources shall be any institution with databases, holdings, or informational content on invasives. Provide full contact information on these sources. Describe their holdings, accessibility, and reliability.

c. Describe the collaborating institution's current information/data holdings on invasive species; volume and format of these holdings (documents not digitized, or on computer); how information is obtained currently; type of information retrieval system; data standards used; personnel available to access and manage current information system; types of equipment and mechanisms used in accessing, managing, and storing information; if Internet-based, a description of its accessibility; and clients served by the institution.

4. Based on the information received, conduct appropriate follow up and, when necessary, visit collaborating institutions, to:

a. Assess needs with regard to both informational and technical matters such as differences among nomenclature, standards used for documentation of data, quality control over information content.

b. Describe the necessary tasks to improve local capacity in the access, management, and eventual application of information to address country-specific problems on invasive species.

c. Identify and describe technical issues bearing upon capacity building and connectivity with other institutions in the Americas.

d. Identify and describe the type and duration of any external training assistance that may be required in order to improve capacities of cooperating institutions in the Americas.

e. Identify, describe, and provide cost data for labor, professional fees, transportation, equipment and other direct costs to enable each collaborating institution (including North American partners) to participate fully in developing the pilot project.

5. Convene a workshop of representatives from cooperating organizations to review the information developed above, and develop consensus on the proposals. Include in this workshop representatives addressing the Legal/Institutional and Technical Issues TORs.

6. Present the findings obtained in the form of two pilot project proposals, one specifically addressing vascular plans and one specifically addressing freshwater fish. Each proposals shall include:

a. Background information on how the proposal was developed.

b. Objective of the proposal along with a complete description of envisioned results.

c. Specific information on the invasives species problem in the Americas and particularly among the participating institutions.

d. Sources of information on invasives in the Americas.

e. Descriptions of collaborating institutions.

f. Detailed description and assessment of institutional needs to be addressed, organized by institution:

• Technical and information issues.
• Training/assistance requirements.

g. Detailed work plan, or tasks to be performed, and their duration, to accomplish objectives.

h. A budget summary containing:

• All costs by labor, fees, transportation, and other direct costs for all collaborating institutions in the pilot project.
• Separate task budgets by institution with same budget line items as above.

For both summary budget and separate task budgets, a breakout by in-kind costs, and by additional cost requirements.

DELIVERABLES AND TIMETABLE

The following deliverables shall be submitted to USGS/BRD at the times indicated. All deliverables shall consist of four (4) paper copies, accompanied by a WP6.0 or 7.0 file of the deliverable on 3.5" floppy diskette. Schedule for deliverables:

DELIVERABLES	ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE (Weeks after Award)
Contact potential collaborators	1
Complete survey	10
Prepare and distribute outline of draft proposals	12
Distribute draft proposals	14
Convene workshop	16
Prepare and distribute final proposals	20
Upon approval of final proposals, prepare presentation on findings and proposals for Brazil meeting	21

Previous Page