First meeting of the COST European Information System for Alien Species (Ispra, IT, 2013-12-11/12)
This COST Action ‘European Information System for Alien Species’;or ‘ALIEN Challenge’ aims to facilitate data gathering and sharing through a network of experts, providing support to a European IAS information system which shall enable effective and informed decision-making in relation to IAS. The priority will be to identify the needs and formats required for alien species (AS) information by different user groups and specifically for implementation of EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy. In addition, early warning tools and rapid response protocols will be developed. The work packages of this project are:
- Early warning and rapid response (EWRR): recommendations will be developed for rapid dissemination of IAS notifications within and between countries.
- Trends and analyses;on pathways and priority species: innovative approaches to analysis of trends will be explored in relation to pathways of introduction and priority species for rapid response at various spatial scales.
- Trends and analyses on impacts of priority species: IAS impacts in Europe and impact assessment methods will be reviewed. This will allow standardized assessment methods to be proposed and to assess present and expected impacts of priority IAS species to support risk assessments in the framework of an EWRR system.
- Data standardisation and harmonization: guidelines will be developed for the collation of alien species information including (a) consensus on terminology, in coordination with the IUCN to avoid the risk of inconsistencies between the adopted terms at the European and global scale, and (b) identification of minimum and desirable data requirements for quality assurance.
- Communication: the COST Action will provide rapid and high quality information on IAS and the main beneficiaries from this research are 1) policy makers, government decision makers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 2) the general public and schools, 3) relevant industries, 4) researchers.
The first meeting of the ALIEN challenge will be held on the 11th and 12th of December 2013 in Ispra (IT).
Sources
ALIEN Challenge (COST Action TD1209).
COST, European Cooperation in Science and Technology, FA COST Action TD1209, European Information System for Alien Species.