Alien invasive species and international trade

 

What does this IUFRO Unit do?

The IUFRO Unit (Unit 7.03.12) has been established to examine global forestry issues related to the unwanted international movement of alien invasive species, including fungi, insects, nematodes, and plants. The increasing emphasis on pathways for movement of alien invasive species, especially those associated with packaging wood and plants for planting will provide a broad focus for the work of the unit.

This emphasis provides an opportunity to integrate across a range of invasive organisms so that links to other IUFRO Working Parties dealing with insects, pathogens and invasive plants will be a priority.

There are close relations with other IUFRO working parties as well as the International Forestry Quarantine Research Group (IFQRG) affiliated with the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Plant Protection Convention.

Specific objectives of the Unit

• Share information and research results
• Develop data sharing agreements and contribute to global pest information systems
• Coordinate joint research and monitoring efforts
• Encourage improvement and extension of Pest Risk Analysis techniques
• Provide research support toward the development of mitigation strategies
• Act as an interface with other IUFRO Working Parties with particular interests in invasive species, e.g. population dynamics, bark beetles, etc.

Activities of the Unit

These will include regular meetings at 1-2 year intervals. For example, the first meeting of the Unit was held in Poland in July 2006 and proceedings (both hard copy and electronic) as well as a concept paper on the risks posed by movement of pests and pathogens by plants for planting have been produced after the meeting.

Arising from discussions at the inaugural meeting in Poland, the Unit has started to focus on plants for planting as a high interest topic of current global concern.

The scope of the Unit, covering insects, pathogens and invasive plants, will provide the opportunity for cross-cutting analysis and research into a wide range of invasive organisms associated with international trade, particularly of this high risk pathway.

For further information

If you are interested in the work of the Unit, please join our mailing list by contacting the coordinator:

Hugh Evans
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH
UK

Tel: +44 (0)1420 22255
Tel direct: +44 (0)1420 526231
Fax: +44 (0)1420 23563
Email: hugh.evans@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.

See also the IUFRO web pages about this Unit

Expertise of officeholders

Dr Hugh F Evans
Pesk risk analysis; Integrated pest management; Ecoclimatic factors in establishment of invasive species.
Email: hugh.evans@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
 
Dr Eric Allen
Non-indigenoous pest risk analysis; Movement of alien pests with international trade; Development and assessment of mitigation measures.
Email: eallen@nrcan.gc.ca
 
Dr Kenji Fukuda
Pine wilt epidemiology; Forest and tree health assessment; Ecology of mycorrhizal fungi and endophytic fungi in trees.
Email: fukuda@k.u-tokyo.ac.jp