[APWG] WEB: Invasive Species Compendium Website

[Olivia Kwong]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Hello colleagues,

I thought you would be interested in this new website compendium of
invasive species across many taxa:  http://www.cabi.org/isc

Invasive species are among the largest causes for reduced food production
and post-harvest losses, and they can be major vectors for human and animal
diseases.  For example, in sub-Saharan Africa the UN estimates the cost of
the invasive witchweed is responsible for annual maize losses amounting to
$7 billion; and, overall losses to invasive species may amount to over $12
billion for Africa's eight principal crops.

This data base/compendium was partially funded by USAID and USDA along with
a number of other donors, and it is now available to anyone with access to
the internet.  Our partner in developing this technical data
base/compendium is CABI (formerly the UK’s Commonwealth Agricultural
Bureaux (an association of all agriculture ministries from the UK and their
Commonwealth countries/colonies, but in 1986 it became a public
international organization).

This is a living compendium and will grow over time.  At the start it
includes:
       Datasheets on over 1500 invasive species and animal diseases.
       Basic datasheets on further species, countries, habitats and pathways
       Bibliographic database of over 65,000 records (updated weekly)
       Full text documents (updated weekly)

Also, FYI, CABI is open to scientists who are experts in given species
helping them expand this compendium to add new species data sheets and
expand and perfect the existing ones.  You can contact CABI directly.

Best
Kit


Kit Batten, Ph.D.
Global Climate Change Coordinator
U.S. Agency for International Development
Washington, DC 20520