IABIN Pollinator Thematic Network Overview Washington DC 28

IABIN Pollinator Thematic Network: Overview Washington, DC 28 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

Scientific and Common Names www. itis. gov

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 Observations Portal

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 >50 % Pollinator Dependent 25 -50 % Pollinator Dependent 10 -24 % Pollinator Dependent >10 % Pollinator Dependent Not an OAS State Total Agricultural Exports (2005) = $172 Billion

IMPORTANCE OF POLLINATORS TO U. S. AGRICULTURAL CROPS: VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION (2007) >75% 25 - 49% 50 – 74% < 25%

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 IV V Maintenance Level X X X Host and Maintain Internal Interactions X X Interface with Other Providers X X Code Updates and Content Facilitation (Automatic) X X Data Quality Checks X X X Marketing/Training for Content Input X X X Marketing/Training for Users 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”