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 HOW TO PARTICIPATE SUBSCRIBING TO THE CONFERENCE If at any time you or a colleague wishes to receive and participate in the discussion then send a one line message: subscribe wwd-l to the email address maiser@plants.ox.ac.uk You will then begin to receive the discussion. If you have a contribution to the discussion you should send your contribution to: wwd-l@plants.ox.ac.uk All other members of the list will then receive a copy of your message. You will also receive a copy of your own message so you know it has been received by the mail server computer. REMOVING YOURSELF FROM THE DISCUSSION If at any time you wish to withdraw from the discussion and stop receiving messages relating to this topic then send a one line message: unsubscribe wwd-l to the email address maiser@plants.ox.ac.uk You may resubscribe yourself at any time. Any problems relating to subscribing or unscribing to the list should be send to the email address: nick.waltham@plants.ox.ac.uk
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