About GRIIS

Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species

The Global Register of Invasive Species (GRIS) was developed as a concept and prototype by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) in 2006 as part of a project undertaken for the Defenders of Wildlife on the Regulation of Live Animal Imports into the United States.

The concept was revisited and expanded by the ISSG to address Aichi Biodiversity Target 9 and support its achievement- with the development of the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS). GRIIS hosted by the ISSG compiles annotated and verified country-wise inventories of introduced and invasive species. Development and population of the GRIIS was undertaken by the ISSG within the framework of activities of the Information Synthesis and Assessment Working Group of the Global Invasive Alien Species Information Partnership (GIASIP).

A summary of the process

  • The compiler team will conduct a comprehensive lit review of authoritative and credible source information and develop a draft annotated country inventory of introduced and invasive species.
  • Annotations include species name (accepted name and synonym if used by the source), higher taxonomy, environmental/system in which the species occurs, biological status (provenance and invasiveness-evidence of impact),
  • Country editor/editors are identified and consulted with for advice including knowledge of any key resources
  • The draft inventory is posted on the GRIIS website.
  • Draft inventories are submitted to country editors for a review for both accuracy of information and for any significant gaps. Revisions are implemented based on feedback.
  • Every species record includes a check (indication) if the status has been verified as feedback is received. In cases where ‘evidence of impact’ information is gathered from peer-reviewed literature or reports; the species status will be considered 'verified'
  • Names of the editors as well as the complete reference list of sources consulted is recorded. Updates will be implemented six-monthly including change in status of species or any new records

Notes on the annotations

  • Species names recorded from source information are referred to the GBIF taxonomic editor; if the source species name is a synonym, the accepted name is also recorded. This will help us to apply a consistent taxonomy across all inventories
  • Higher taxonomy- Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Genus and Species with species authority.
  • Environment system- terrestrial/ freshwater / brackish / marine/ host and combinations
  • Provenance - a) as recorded by the source information b) as interpreted by the compiler - three options applied are alien, native/alien (if the species is native in a part of a country and alien in another part), provenance uncertain/cryptogenic
  • Evidence of impact - a binary choice of Yes/ No;
  • Source information includes the complete citation with a link, if available.

Published GRIIS Checklists can be downloaded from: https://www.gbif.org/publisher/cdef28b1-db4e-4c58-aa71-3c5238c2d0b5

The published methods underpinning GRIIS and each Checklist are: Pagad S, Genovesi P, Carnevali L, Schigel D, McGeoch MA (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data, 5, 170202.

https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata2017202

A Country Compendium of the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species was published recently Pagad, S., Bisset, S., Genovesi, P. et al. Country Compendium of the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Sci Data 9, 391 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01514-z

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01514-z

The Country Compendium of the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS) is a collation of data across 196 individual country checklists of alien species, along with a designation of those species with evidence of impact at a country level. The Compendium provides a baseline for monitoring the distribution and invasion status of all major taxonomic groups, and can be used for the purpose of global analyses of introduced (alien, non-native, exotic) and invasive species (invasive alien species), including regional, single and multi-species taxon assessments and comparisons. It enables exploration of gaps and inferred absences of species across countries, and also provides one means for updating individual GRIIS Checklists. The Country Compendium is, for example, instrumental, along with data on first records of introduction, for assessing and reporting on invasive alien species targets, including for the Convention on Biological Diversity and Sustainable Development Goals. The GRIIS Country Compendium provides a baseline and mechanism for tracking the spread of introduced and invasive alien species across countries globally.

The development of the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS) is an initiative supported by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and is implemented within the framework of the Global Invasive Alien Species Information Partnership. The IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group is the project lead. The resource will be a support to Parties to make progress to Achieve Aichi Target 9 -in the development of their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans, their National Invasive Alien Species Strategy and Action Plan, target setting and monitoring.