Abstract
The introduction of species to locations where they do not naturally occur (termed aliens) can have far-reaching and unpredictable environmental and economic consequences. Therefore there is a strong incentive to stem the tide of alien species introduction and spread. In order to identify broad patterns and processes of alien invasions, a spatially referenced, global dataset on the historical introductions and alien distributions of a complete taxonomic group is required. Here we present the Global Avian Invasions Atlas (GAVIA)—a new spatial and temporal dataset comprising 27,723 distribution records for 971 alien bird species introduced to 230 countries and administrative areas spanning the period 6000BCE—AD2014. GAVIA was initiated to provide a unified database of records on alien bird introductions, incorporating records from all stages of invasion, including introductions that have failed as well as those that have succeeded. GAVIA represents the most comprehensive resource on the global distribution of alien species in any major taxon, allowing the spatial and temporal dynamics of alien bird distributions to be examined.
Highlights
The Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) made a commitment in 2002 to develop an adequate knowledge base to address the problem of invasive alien species, including encouraging research on ‘the history and ecology of invasion’[1]
Broad geographic coverage is needed as currently the majority of data on alien species is skewed towards developed nations[4], and it is difficult to distinguish whether this imbalance is due to a higher incidence of introductions in these regions or just a greater recording effort
The data contained within Global Avian Invasions Atlas (GAVIA) constitute a large evidence base for the analysis of spatial and temporal patterns in alien bird distributions, and will be an important resource for scientists interested in understanding the invasion process
Summary
The coverage of the GAVIA database, both geographically (230 countries), taxonomically (~10% of all bird species) and temporally (anecdotal records from ~8,000 years ago, detailed distribution records spanning the last 1,500 years), illustrates the extent of alien bird introductions and spread, and the breadth of available information relating to them. GAVIA represents the first time these data have been collated and compiled into one database, and distribution maps have been created It is arguably the most comprehensive resource on the global distribution of alien species in any major taxon. The data contained within GAVIA constitute a large evidence base for the analysis of spatial and temporal patterns in alien bird distributions, and will be an important resource for scientists interested in understanding the invasion process. GAVIA could help conservation bodies and policy makers to understand where and why invasions are continuing to occur, especially if linked into new initiatives to understand bird distributions such as ebird, and so contribute to efforts to stem the process and ameliorate its impacts
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