ABOUT THE PROJECTInvasive Alien Species (IAS) are commonly regarded as a major threat to the biological diversity on a global scale, second only to habitat loss. Although the problem is well recognised, concerted attempts to solve it have only been undertaken within last few years. There are a number of organisations specifically addressing the IAS problem. These include the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) and the Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of IUCN. The problem has also been identified by organisations of a broader profile, including UNESCO, UNEP, GEF and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).Amongst other international treaties, the invasive alien species have been thoroughly addressed at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention). Collection and dissemination of information on IAS are widely recognised as crucial components for solving the problems they pose. In 1999, the database on species introduced into Poland was developed at the Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow for the Ministry of the Environment. In 2003, thanks to a grant from the US State Department, part of the data was translated and made accessible on the Internet. In 2003-2008, as a result of cooperation between a group of experts, new species were included. In 2005, the Polish database became a part of NOBANIS http://www.nobanis.org/ which is an important gateway to data on invasive alien species in Northern and Central Europe. Currently there are 804 alien species of plants, animals and fungi in the database. Part of the detailed data relating to species is available. These include: pathway, place and time of introduction into Poland, current distribution, population trends and impact on native species, habitats and ecosystems. Necessity and methods of species control management are also assessed. In future, new alien species will be added to the database and data concerning the species already recorded will be updated. There are also plans to link the database the Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN http://www.gisinetwork.org/). Please send any questions you might have and any comments concerning the database to: or Wojciech Solarz |
