Towards integrating and harmonising information on plant invasions across Australia
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(Published version)
Date
2024
Authors
Martín-Forés, I.
Guerin, G.R.
Lewis, D.
Gallagher, R.V.
Vilà, M.
Catford, J.A.
Pauchard, A.
Sparrow, B.
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Journal article
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NeoBiota, 2024; 92:61-83
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Irene Martín-Forés, Greg R. Guerin, Donna Lewis, Rachael V. Gallagher, Montserrat Vilà, Jane A. Catford, Aníbal Pauchard, Ben Sparrow
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Abstract
Terminology for the invasion status of alien species has typically relied either on ecological- or policy-based criteria, with the former emphasising species’ ability to overcome ecological barriers and the latter on species’ impacts. There remains no universal consensus about definitions of invasion. Without an agreement on definitions, it is difficult to combine data that comes from a range of sources. In Australia, information on plant invasions is provided by a collection of independent jurisdictions. This has led to inconsistencies in terminology used to describe species invasion status at the national level, impeding efficient management. In this paper, we review and discuss the steps taken to harmonise the different terminologies used across Australia’s states and territories. We identified mismatches in definitions and records of invasion status for vascular plant taxa across different jurisdictions and propose prioritisation procedures to tackle these mismatches and to integrate information into a harmonised workflow at the national scale. This integration has made possible the creation of a standardised dataset at the Australian national scale (the Alien Flora of Australia). In Australia, having an integrated workflow for referring to and monitoring alien flora will aid early warning and prevent species introduction, facilitate decision-making and aid biosecurity measures.
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Copyright: © Irene Martín-Forés et al. This is an open access article distributed under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (Attribution 4.0 International – CC BY 4.0).