On 1 June 2008, researchers at the Centre for Invasion Biology (C·I·B) began work on the global Invasive Alien Species Indicator. The indicator is one of two indicators of ‘threat to biodiversity’ among the 22 headline indicators that are being developed to monitor the goal of the Convention on Biological Diversity “to achieve, by 2010, a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss”.

The C·I·B has been requested to produce a Proof of Concept for the IAS Indicator by December 2008, to be reviewed by the GISP Expert Working Group. Melodie A. McGeoch and Steven L. Chown are leading the team that will develop and populate the indicator. To do this a database of IAS is being compiled that is representative of worldwide countries, taxa and environments.

Three measures and a resulting composite indicator of trends in alien invasive species are being developed. The measures are:

1. Number of alien invasive species per country;
2. Number of operational alien invasive species management plans per country; and
3. Number of countries party to international agreements that address alien invasive species.

[ Indicator in action list ]