IABIN Pollinator Thematic Network: Overview

Washington, DC28 October 2008

Michael Ruggiero Smithsonian Institution, USA

ruggierm@si.edu

IABIN PTN Partners

• Coevolution Institute• University of Sao Paulo• Integrated Taxonomic Information System• National Biological Information Infrastructure

(NBII)

IABIN PTN Architecture

IABIN PTN Vision

A Pollinators Thematic Network for the

Americas

which will facilitate integration of

information about pollinators

in an efficient retrieval system

Information Needs Assessment

INFORMATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Content

• Scientific and common names

• Experts• Specimens and

observations • Pollinator-plant

relationships• Literature

www.itis.gov

Scientific and Common Names

Scientific and Common Names

• Checklists of Bees and other Pollinating Species:– Bees, Bats, and Birds Complete

– Flies, beetles, others underway

Experts Database

Specimens and Collections

• 82 Major collections of bee specimens for the Americas– 32 in South America– 30 in North America– 2 in Central America– 18 in Europe

• 2.8 Million bee specimens in the Americas– 0.8 Million databased– 2.0 Million not databased

Specimens and Collections• IABIN Content Grants

– Brazil– Colombia– Peru – + 5 (Round 2)

• GBIF Grants– York University (Canada)– CRIA (Brazil)– USU - Logan (US)– UC - Riverside (US)

Specimens and Collections

Specimens and ObservationsPortal

Plant-Pollinator Relationships

Literature

• Catalogue of Hymenoptera

in America North of Mexico

• Catalogue of Bees in the Neotropical Region

Next

• Content Grants: Round 3

• Training

Sustainability of PTN• PTN needs IABIN in order to have a political framework and

for coordination of certain issues.

• PTN needs a new central focus, e.g., a regional role in a Global Pollinator Assessment.

• PTN needs a new name (Pollinator Information Network of the Americas) for marketing purposes and a marketing strategy (like NAPPC).

• PTN needs to determine its appropriate sustainability level commensurate with support.

Vulnerability of Agricultural Exports in OAS Member States to Loss of Pollinators

Not an OAS State

25-50 % Pollinator Dependent

10-24 % Pollinator Dependent

>10 % Pollinator Dependent

>50 % Pollinator Dependent

Total Agricultural Exports (2005) = $172 Billion

50 – 74%

25 - 49%

< 25%

>75%

IMPORTANCE OF POLLINATORS TO U.S. AGRICULTURAL CROPS: VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION (2007)

Marketing - Outreach

• Academic Associations• Natural History Museums• Foundations• Ecological Societies• Government• EMBRAPA• Coffee Growers

Associations• Association of Coffee (Peru)• Bee Researchers

• Plant Enthusiasts (e.g. orchid societies)

• Conservation Organization• APACAME – Association of

Apiculture• Association of Apiculture in

Peru• Brazilian Oil Company

(Petrobras)• Conservation Commons• IUCN Country Committees• UN Organizations

Sustainability Levels and Costs

LEVEL OF SUPPORT I II III IV V

Maintenance Level X X X X X

Host and Maintain Internal Interactions X X X X

Interface with Other Providers X X X X

Code Updates and Content Facilitation (Automatic)

X X X X

Data Quality Checks X X X

Marketing/Training for Content Input X X X

Marketing/Training for Users X X

Automatic Harvest & Updates of Content X

Develop Collateral Products and Tools X

ESTIMATED COST ? ? ? ? ?

THANK YOU

http://pollinators.iabin.net

http://pollinators.incubadora.fapesp.br

http://www.pollinator.org

SWOT Analysis

• Strengths– Community of pollinator experts– Infrastructure– Unique Content (Assessment defined)– Partnership (national, regional, local)– Importance/urgency of issue (food security,

political stability, conservation)

SWOT Analysis

• Weaknesses– Time zones– Late start/playing catchup– Name (need to change)

SWOT Analysis

• Opportunities– Part of Global Pollinator Assessment– Link to other major programs, e.g., food

security, trade, etc.– Use data for new applications– Regional strategies, mapping applications

SWOT Analysis

• Threats– Funding– Incomplete involvement of member States– Communication– “Red tape”