CATEGORY GAP IMPLEMENTATION 
CHALLENGE
POTENTIAL GAIN
Estimated research costEstimated scientific challengeFor taking management actionFor better understanding biological invasions
Interoperable 
data for 
monitoring 
invasive alien 
species and 
effects of drivers 
of biodiversity 
change
Lack of integration of impact data and knowledge sources across 
languages {4.7.2}
Incomplete data to undertake risk management, cost-effective 
species-based surveillance and detection of fungi, microbes and 
marine pests {Table 5.11}
Incomplete data to prioritize biological invasion management under 
climate, sea- and land-use change {5.6.1.3}
Lack of inventories at fine scales and for specific taxon and biome 
contexts to support decision-makers in determining when to 
implement species-based or site-based management (or both) 
{5.6.2.1, 5.7}
Incomplete data to develop pathway risk assessments and 
management for different taxonomic groups and biomes {Table 
5.11, 5.6.2.5}
Incomplete data and understanding of site-based and ecosystembased management concepts {5.6.2.1}
Incomplete data and understanding of the conditions that facilitate 
successful integration of policy developments into management 
plans {6.6.1.4}
Lack of indicators of the various dimensions of biological invasion 
that are policy-relevant, sensitive, reliable, relevant at national 
and global scales, sustained for medium-to-long-term tracking of 
progress and part of a responsive policy environment {6.6.3}
Gaps in how 
invasive alien 
species affect 
nature's 
contributions to 
people
Incomplete data on impacts on nature's contributions to people 
and good quality of life {4.7.2}
Management 
and policy 
approaches
Lack of control options for marine invasive alien species and 
invasive alien microbial fungal pathogens of plants and animals 
{5.6.1.1}
Lack of agreed-upon methods of supporting management decisionmaking for invasive alien species with both positive and negative 
impacts {5.6.1.2}
Lack of methods of managing pathways for invasive alien 
species arriving as contaminants, or through shipping containers, 
e-commerce (legal/illegal), biofouling or ports, and across land 
borders and along trade supply chains {Table 5.11, 5.6.2.4}
Lack of methods for adaptive management of invasive alien 
invertebrates and plants using alternative approaches given the 
declining number of chemical control options {5.6.2.5}
Lack of eradication guidelines and strategies for generalist invasive 
alien invertebrates, diseases and hard-to-detect freshwater and 
marine invasive alien species {5.6.2.1, Table 5.11}
Lack of scenarios and models of invasive alien species that consider 
interactions with other drivers of global change {2.6.5, 6.6.1.6}
Missing information on the implementation of adaptive-collaborative 
governance for biological invasions and factors important to the 
success of that governance strategy {6.4.4.5}
Incomplete data on the effectiveness of policies, management 
strategies and actions related to biological invasions {6.1.3, 6.6.3}
HE THEMATIC ASSESSMENT REPORT ON INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES AND TH
19SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS
BACKGROUND
Table SPM A 1 Table of knowledge and data gaps 