In an informative and entertaining talk at the National Association of Environmental Professionals, Chris Diogini of the National Invasive Species Council discussed some of the challenges of staying ahead of potentially catastrophic outbreaks of invasive plants, and animals. One area of concern is the need for taxonomists, because we’re losing our capacity to detect and distinguish invasive species from native species.
Because rapid response is necessary to combat outbreaks, misidentification can be costly as quick ill-informed action results in wasteful efforts. The effective control and management of threats requires exotic species to be correctly and quickly identified, which requires expertise and capacity that isn’t being taught.
To combat this issue, the Global Taxonomy Initiative, aims to build capacity and to create a network for sharing expertise and information. The expertise of taxonomists are necessary for developing the most effective, economic and environmentally benign eradication measures.
