Report prepared for the Experts Meeting Towards the Implementation of a Global Invasive Species
Information Network (GISIN), 6-8 April, 2004. Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Page 68
8/30/2004
can be queried using a single search
mechanism.
I3N Cataloger
The I3N Cataloger tool was developed to
assist those that did not want to deal with
the technology involved in creating their
own catalogs. It allows biologists to create
catalogs (databases) and make them
available in a standard format.
This tool supports three languages –
Spanish, Portuguese, and English. It was
developed using Microsoft Access 2000 and
automatically generates Extensible Markup
Language (XML) from the cataloged data. A
new version has recently been released
and is freely available for download from
the I3N Web site at http://www.iabin-
Documentation for I3N is also available on
the Web site along with data for each
participating country, and access to the I3N
List Serve.
Benefits and Achievements
With very little funding, the countries
participating in I3N have made great
achievements. For example, one country
was able to create their very first national
registry of invasive species and specialists.
The Bahamas developed a National
Invasive Species Strategy using I3N data
and acknowledging the contributions of the
I3N. El Salvador has created a compact
disc containing species fact sheets and
other information.
… one country was able to create
their very first national registry of
invasive species and specialists.
Many challenges were overcome during the
implementation of I3N. Some of the
products have not yet been standardized,
largely due to lack of human or
infrastructural capacity, software bugs in the
I3N Cataloger, a lack of existing information,
and other political and social issues. For
example, in one country the exchange of
data among different federal agencies
requires payment. The I3N lead in that
country was not able to pay for all of the
data, so the data are not yet complete.
I3N Argentina (InBiAr)
In 2002 the development of a system was
initiated to compile and organize information
about invasive species in a database known
as InBiAr, which stands for Invasiones
Biológicas En Argentina (a national
database on biological invasion).
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