Title:
Integrating Information Sources on Invasive Species in the Americas
Presenter:
Andrea Grosse
Authors:
Andrea Grosse, United States Geological Survey
Abstract:
In the Americas, information from published and unpublished accounts and databases on invasive species is scattered in locations and formats not easily accessible even to local users. The Invasives Information Network (I3N) of the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network, sponsored by the United States Department of State and the U.S. Geological Survey, created a distributed network of catalogs of invasive species lists, experts, projects and datasets. Software tools were developed by the U.S. National Biological Information Infrastructure to assist with cataloguing and distributed searching. The pilot project was completed successfully in 11 countries, with many unexpected benefits, and another 6 countries are preparing to join. I3N is composed of in-country information providers working towards the use of common standards. Each provider controls its information, though information is documented and posted in a standard format. The public can search the records for free from a single entry-point, at http://www.iabin-us.org/projects/i3n/data.html.