GEO BON Workshop

Invasive alien species of animals, fungi and plants cost the taxpayer billions each year. These species are second only to habitat transformation in documented severity of impacts on biodiversity. Species movements beyond their historic distributions will continue, driven largely by increased volumes of trade and increasingly complex trade routes. 
There is currently no system in place for the systematic evaluation and monitoring of invasive alien species. To improve knowledge and information in this field, iDiv organized a workshop in close cooperation with Prof. Melodie McGeoch (Monash University, Australia) and Dr Piero Genovesi (IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group). The workshop took place from 2 to 4 March 2015 in Leipzig. 
22 high-level scientists and representatives from 14 countries came together with international policy experts Dr Myriam DuMortier from the European Commission, Dr Craig Hilton-Taylor from the IUCN SSC Red List Unit, Dr Nick Holmes from Island Conservation, Dr Sean Murphy from CABI, Dr Jon Paul Rodriguez IUCN SSC and Dr Junko Shimura from the Convention of Biological Diversity. 
During the workshop, the experts established a first set of variables to define a minimum information set to capture the major dimensions of biological invasion as a driver of biodiversity change. There was a strong focus not only on the spread and impacts of alien invasive species but also on monitoring the pathways of invasion. These EBVs will not support national governments but also the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) and the regional assessments of the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).