Discussion group on a database on weeds of the world

[Nicholas Waltham]

DISCUSSION GROUP ON A DATABASE OF THE WEEDS OF THE WORLD
(AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL)

3rd March 1995 Oxford Forestry Institute

This group has been set up as a result of a six month project to 
examine the feasibility/desirability of establishing a database of 
the worlds invasive and weedy species. The interest in this area 
within this department stemmed from concern over the introduction of 
potentially invasive species of trees through our extension network 
but this interest also overlapped with an international group 
concerned with monitoring the effects of climate change.  It was felt 
that invasive and weedy species might make very good candidates for 
evaluating changes in vegetation structure associated with climate 
change.  Subsequently a number of other agencies have expressed 
interest (notably agronomists and the conservation lobby). Workers in 
the UK, USA, New Zealand, S Africa and Australia have been canvassed 
for their views through a series of meetings and there is obvious 
concern for the issue of invasives in all of these countries.  There 
has been little attempt to assess the threat of species outside of 
the given territory, given internal financial-administrative 
constraints, which has obvious technical limitations given the global 
nature of the problem.  One model examined to date has been the 
database used in Holm et al (Geographical Atlas of the Worlds Worst 
Weeds).  Technically it is not difficult to put this into 
electronically searcheable format and it could be a useful spine of 
information on taxonomy and distribution which could be supplemented 
and refined subsequently.  The purpose of this discussion group is to 
elicit responses to the broad concept of a global plant invasives and 
weeds database and to seek suggestions on how such a project might 
proceed in terms of the information required and how it might be 
distributed.  It is hoped that funding may be found to carry this 
work further.

Mr Hugh Frost
Dept Plant Sciences
University of Oxford
South Parks Road
Oxford  OX1 3RB  UK
Tel: -01865-275021
Fax: -01865-275146

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