A. Grosse, 13 January 2004

In addition to the expected outputs from the I3N pilot project (Web sites, catalogs, species lists), other benefits and products resulted from the seed grants. Additional benefits due to leveraging were anticipated, but their nature and value could only be imagined until the project proceeded. The following list is a selection of outcomes reported by individual countries.

• Created first registry of species, specialists, or projects related to invasive species in this country
• Created first listing of taxonomists indicating specialties
• Created first digital data base focusing on invasive species
• Discovered possible invasive events
• Provides access to unpublished or scattered data
• Aroused the interest of the country’s scientific community in invasive species
• Created photo collection
• Created printed educational material
• Identified for the first time the means of entry and damages caused by invasive species, as well as recording current and potential invasive species
• Trained persons directly involved in data management
• Will guide national legislation process by creating legal bases for bio-security regulations
• Will contribute to development of national invasive species strategy
• Provided list of game and fish species annexed to a national biodiversity law
• Contributed to list of species for a resolution on controlling entry of exotic species
• Will improve entry permit process for exotics
• Will enable improve decision making for permitting entry of exotics
• Provided previously unpublished or scattered baseline data inform the work of researchers, scholars and policy makers
• Staff gained experience in creating databases that will be used to create other databases related to biodiversity
• Identified best practices for the documentation, storage and retrieval of information
• Benefited biodiversity enabling activities under the CBD
• Will integrate I3N catalogs into national databases of protected areas or biodiversity
• Increased knowledge about invasive species management
• Enabled identification of gaps in knowledge and institutional capacity
• Enabled country leads to ascertain what data is available on invasive species, the condition and reliability of the data, and what data gaps exist
• Enabled the identification of institutional needs
• Initial listing of taxonomists with specialization available for the first time
• Is a starting point from which the nation can begin to work; enables identification of information gaps in research, inventories and taxonomy; begin research in areas that are of need for decision-makers
• Nation is better able to define agriculture policies
• Brought together staff from different federal government sectors to discuss invasive species issues from an integrated perspective
• Resulted in the development of a growing relationship between two major institutions within country
• Encouraged exchange of information between institutions in neighboring countries
• Integrated view of invasive species’ effect on natural ecosystems, human health, and agriculture
• Raised knowledge about species among institutions and professionals
• Workshops of scientists and professionals raised awareness and interest in conducting ecological research
• Allowed the compilation of basic data and collection of specimens in field
• Project will feed into other projects that will build on what was learned during the I3N Project: Biodiversity Enabling Activities under the CBD, Development of an Invasive Species Strategy, National Capacity-Building Self Assessment
• Is helping country to comply with agreements made under CBD
• Encouraged country-wide discussions about metadata
• Agency technicians were able for the first time to focus and go in depth into the issue of invasive species threatening biodiversity
• Identified deficiencies in information sharing, ecological information, and legislation
• Provided opportunity to promote information networking between governmental and non-governmental providers, users, and distributors of information
• Determined highest priority for national network (data sheets on species and ecosystems affected, ratings of threat by region)
• Determined that I3N information will be most useful to park wardens, environmental NGOs, quarantine officers, regulatory staff, research managers, and policy makers
• Provided basis for public awareness CD-ROM
• Created databases, searchable by species, of literature references and Web links
• Will publicize I3N products in public ceremony
• Information will be made available in a GIS format
• Incorporated I3N data into a GIS database
• Printed materials: will publish a booklet on invasive plant species with photos to aid in identification of these species; created brochure for public education; will publish proceedings of experts workshop
• Developed species profiles/fact sheet