Tracking changes in the introduction and distributions of non- native species in Great Britain: GB Non-native Species Information Portal Helen E. Roy, Stephanie L. Rorke, Björn Beckmann, Colin A. Harrower, Biren Rathod and Katharine Turvey Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB David G. Noble and John H. Marchant British Trust for Ornithology Jack Sewell, Christine Wood and Esther Hughes Marine Biological Association Kevin J. Walker and Peter Stroh Botanical Society of the British Isles November 2017 1 Contents Summary................................................................................................................................................. 4 Success of GB-NNSIP 2012-2017 ............................................................................................................ 6 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Aims ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 Overview of tasks and sub-tasks as specified in the tender 2012-2017 ............................................ 8 GB Non-Native Species Information Portal (GB-NNSIP) ....................................................................... 10 Species register................................................................................................................................. 11 Information contained within the species register ...................................................................... 13 Pathways of arrival ....................................................................................................................... 14 Ecological and human impacts of established non-native species .............................................. 19 Limitations of the species register ............................................................................................... 20 Factsheets ......................................................................................................................................... 21 Collation of the factsheet information from the designated experts .......................................... 21 Task 1: Improve the flow of data on non-native species, ensuring, that where possible, data are widely available to support research and decision making, through the NBN-Gateway and NNSS ...... 21 Task 2: Increase the quantity and quality of biological records collected on non-native species ... 22 Task 3: Verify and report alerts for interceptions of new introductions ......................................... 23 Task 4: Analyse trends in non-native species introduction, spread and impact ......................... 26 Task 5: Add newly arrived species and those not already included to the registry and develop factsheets for those species which are considered priorities................................................................. 29 Species status - categories of non-nativeness .............................................................................. 30 Totals in major categories ............................................................................................................ 32 Established non-native species within broad environmental categories .................................... 32 Task 6: Horizon scan for emerging threats. ................................................................................ 37 Task 7: Revise the non-native species indicators and update it and the accompanying text annually, for publication in May. ............................................................................................................ 41 Task 8: Develop a registry of non-native species experts in GB, similar to that of DAISIE. ............. 41 List of major outputs ........................................................................................................................ 42 Compilation of key recommendations ................................................................................................. 46 Glossary ................................................................................................................................................ 47 Appendix 1. New GB-NNSIP Database Structure ................................................................................. 50 Appendix 2. List of species selected for factsheets within the GB-NNSIP (319 species) ..................... 51 Appendix 3. Micro-organisms included in the species register (263 species)..................................... 61 Appendix 4. Species lists, within broad groups, designated as having a negative ecological or human impact. ........................................................................................................................................................ 67 Appendix 5. Species designated as having an unknown impact. ......................................................... 74 Appendix 6. Non-native species which are known to have arrived since the onset of the project. .... 77 Appendix 7. Proposed alert management system dataflow ................................................................ 79 2 Appendix 8. List of associations providing records of non-native species within the GB-NNSIP species register to the NBN Atlas. ........................................................................................................................... 80 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................................... 83 3 Summary Here we report on a six-year Defra-funded study, co-funded by the Natural Environment Research Council Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), to enhance the ability to detect and report non-native species (NNS) in GB. The overarching aim was to document the occurrence and distribution of NNS in Great Britain and make this information available to key data users. The work programme comprised eight tasks including improving the flow of data on NNS (including species information, occurrence data and factsheets), verifying and reporting alerts for interceptions of new introductions, analysing trends in NNS (primarily through an annual scorecard and indicator), horizon scanning for emerging threats, developing a registry of NNS experts. The collation of data was led by CEH in collaboration with the British Trust for Ornithology, the Marine Biological Association, the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland and the Non-Native Species Secretariat. Additional experts from the National Schemes and Societies hosted by the Biological Records Centre (part of CEH), provided further information on many of the species. The UK Species Inventory provided an invaluable source of information on new arrivals. Reviewing, updating and populating the database of NNS (hereafter called the species register) and compiling additional information in the form of factsheets for 319 of the species is core to the project. The species register was originally developed through previous Defra-funded projects spanning 2008- 2012. During the current phase of the project major restructuring was undertaken to enable increased flexibility in the compilation of information whilst allowing for future growth and the addition of new data in a modular fashion without a need to alter the core components of the species register. Both the species register and factsheets are delivered through the GB Non-Native Species Information Portal (GB-NNSIP) hosted by the Non-Native Species Secretariat. An on-line system (alongside an e-mail account) for rapid- reporting capability, whereby particularly important new arrivals (so called alert species) can be immediately notified to the relevant bodies, was developed as an integral component of the GB-NNSIP. The alert system has been refined and developed over the last six years to take advantage of new technologies. Each species occupies a row within the core table of the database with information on aspects of the species’ biology such as environment (marine, freshwater, terrestrial etc), functional type (predator, parasite etc) are stored along with an identification number. The identification number provides a link to other tables in the database in which multiple entries for habitats occupied in the invaded range (using EUNIS classification), invasion pathways, establishment status in GB and impacts may be stored. The structure of the database lends itself to future expansion, allowing for an unlimited number of values associated with a species in a region whilst controlling the user input, with the use of reference tables, to simplify querying and reporting. During the project (2011-2017) an additional 496 species names have been added to the GB-NNSIP species register, there is however a net gain of 135 over this period as a number of species have been removed following review. There are 2079 established NNS in GB in total. The majority are higher plants (1485 species). Insects are the next most numerous group (328 species) followed by non-insect invertebrates (174 species), vertebrates (59 species), lower plants (27 species) and five other species. It should be noted that the information for 99 established NNS within the species register is incomplete and so the summaries within this report are based on the 1980 established NNS for which the information is has been updated. 4 Most (1788