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 87
8/30/2004
CONABIO: National
Commission for the Knowledge
and Use of Biodiversity,
Invasive Species Programme,
Mexico.
Patricia Koleff, Director of Analyses and
Priorities, Conabio, Av. Liga Periferico Sur 4903
Col. Parques del Pedregal, Mexico City 14010
Mexico.
Abstract
Conabio’s national biodiversity
information system is based on specimen data.
It is hosted on the Conabio Web site
http://www.conabio.gob.mx and contains
species profiles for native species. It hopes to
provide the same information for invasive
species including original distribution, natural
range, information about habitat, and predictive
information about potential distributions.
Conabio demonstrates the use of
information gathered from museum collections
and other organizations to carry out risk
assessments, give advice to authorities and the
public, and act upon the threats posed by
introduced species.
Introduction
The national
biodiversity information
system of Mexico
(SNIB, for its name in
Spanish, Sistema
Nacional de
Información sobre Biodiversidad) is mainly
based on specimen data. It is hosted on the
Conabio Web site
http://www.conabio.gob.mx that also
contains information about the invasive
species program and links to species and
expertise lists. Multiple institutions provide
their data through Conabio’s Web site. The
data is available to users that are party to
Conabio’s data use agreements.
Conabio has convened invasive species
workshops, contacted institutes, and
initiated projects gathering information
about invasive species in Mexico. They are
building an information system that contains
2500 taxa. At least 700 of these taxa are
exotic, alien, and invasive in Mexico. They
include translocated species, defined as
species that did not formerly exist in an
ecological or biogeographical region, and by
their introduction might become invasive.
Conabio maintains a list of over 3000
translocated species.
Conabio is trying to include all of the
biological information and distribution data
on individual groups of species, and has
also been working on risk analysis.
Conabio’s risk analyses have caught
the attention of Mexico’s authorities
and governments.
Consider the cactus moth (Cactoblastis
cactorum) that is native to northern
Argentina and Brazil. This moth is the most
successful example of the biological control
of pests. It was imported into Australia to
control prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.).
But the cactus moth was introduced from
Australia into the Caribbean, and now
threatens to invade the southern United
States and Mexico (where there is a large
number of endemic Opuntia species). In
Mexico, Opuntia is also a very important
agricultural product. Therefore, it is
important to educate the authorities about
the significant threat posed by the cactus
moth, because if it were to reach Mexico,
the species would find perfect habitat,
climate, and food supply.
Conabio’s risk analyses have caught the
attention of Mexico’s authorities and
governments. Authorities have funded
workshops on assessing the invasiveness
of the cactus moth. An educational poster
was developed to teach the public how to
identify the cactus moth.
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