Biodiversity: Work plan activities

Biodiversity: Understanding, monitoring and conserving biodiversity

"Issues in this area include the condition and extent of ecosystems, distribution and status of species, and genetic diversity in key populations. Implementing GEOSS will unify many disparate biodiversity-observing systems and create a platform to integrate biodiversity data with other types of information. Taxonomic and spatial gaps will be filled, and the pace of information collection and dissemination will be increased."
– GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.9

Summary of ongoing tasks:

BI-06-03: Capturing Historical Biodiversity Data
This Task is led by GBIF.
Initiate the development of a strategic plan for capturing historical biodiversity data from natural history collections and the research community. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility, with DIVERSITAS and GTOS, conducted a workshop on “Defining user needs for a global observation system for biodiversity” on 23-25 October 2006.

BI-07-01: Biodiversity Observation Network
This Task is led by DIVERSITAS.
Develop and implement a biodiversity observation network that is spatially and topically prioritized, based on analysis of existing information, identifying unique or highly diverse ecosystems and those supporting migratory, endemic or globally threatened species, those whose biodiversity is of socio-economic importance, and which can support the 2010 CBD target. Develop a strategy for assessing biodiversity at both the species and ecosystems level. Facilitate the establishment of monitoring systems that enable frequent, repeated, globally coordinated assessment of trends and distributions of species and ecosystems of special conservation merit. Facilitate consensus on data collection protocols and the coordination of the development of interoperability among monitoring programs.

BI-07-02: Invasive Species Monitoring System
This Task is led by the USA.
Invasive species (IAS) threaten biodiversity and exert a tremendous cost on society for IAS prevention and eradication. They endanger natural ecosystem functioning and seriously impact biodiversity and agricultural production. It is therefore necessary to characterize, monitor and predict changes in the distribution of invasive species. This task will characterize the current requirements and capacity for invasive species monitoring, identify gaps, and develop strategies for implementing cross search functionality among existing online invasive species information systems from around the globe. The task will be coordinated by members of the Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN), including (but not limited to) the USGS National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the Global Invasive Species Programme, and CAB International, with collaboration from NASA, the USGS National Institute of Invasive Species Science, Discover Life, DIVERSITAS, and other information managers working with the invasive species science community.