ALIEN Challenge COST Action Workshop

ESENIAS was represented at the Data for invasive species research, policy making and management workshop, held at the Belgian Science Policy Office, Brussels, Belgium, on 16-17 February 2016. The workshop was an activity of the COST Action TD1209 European Information System for Alien Species (ALIEN Challenge), chaired by Dr. Helen Roy, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Natural Environment Research Council, UK. It was organised by the Botanic Garden Meise, Belgian Biodiversity Platform, Research Institute for Nature and Forest INBO, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, and Biodiversity Information Standards, TDWG.

The aim of the workshop was to examine ways to improve the interoperability, accessibility and openness of invasive species data for all its different users. This included examining aspects, such as biodiversity informatics standards suitability for invasive species assessment; improving data flows; exploring ways to make invasive species research more reproducible and ways to resolve the fragmentation of invasive species information.

A special focus was placed on the concept of a Data Management Plan (DMP) for invasive species data. The intention was to create guidelines for such a plan. DMPs are a relatively new phenomenon, but are now required by many funding agencies. Data are assets, they are valuable from a scientific, management and political perspective. A DMP ensures that data are well organised, supports data re-use and helps to improve research reproducibility.

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