The following links may be of use in extracting further information regarding impact assessment; the practice and legislation regarding IA activities, species and geographical information.
Biodiversity-rich areas | Protected areas | Species information
Biodiversity-rich areas
BirdLife International
Searchable database containing information about sites designated IBA or EBA, the species for which they are designated and threats to the sites. Also descriptions of designation criteria, and of species of conservation concern.
<http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/index.html>
Conservation International's Biodiversity Hotspots
Description of each hotspot, species of interest that inhabit them, threats to the area. Background information on hotspot science and the concept also available. Searchable database of terrestrial vertebrates occurring in hotspots (birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals)
<http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots>
WWF Global 200 Ecoregions
Basic species information available for ecoregions, but not to country level. Features of interest in each ecoregion described
<http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/ecoregions/about/index.cfm>
Protected Areas
Antarctic Protected Areas Information Archive
Information about the protected areas of the Antarctic.
<http://www.cep.aq>
Global Invasive Species Database
The Global Invasive Species Database (GISD)is a free, online searchable source of information about species that negatively impact biodiversity. The GISD is managed by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), based at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. The GISD aims to increase public awareness about invasive species and to facilitate effective prevention and management activities by disseminating specialist's knowledge and experience to a broad global audience. It focuses on invasive alien species that threaten native biodiversity and covers all taxonomic groups from micro-organisms to animals and plants.
The Global Invasive Species Database focuses on invasive alien species that threaten native biodiversity. It covers all taxonomic groups from micro-organisms to animals and plants in all ecosystems. We have targeted some of the worst invasive species by consulting with international experts and analysing available data to identify species with serious impacts on biological diversity and/or human activities, and their illustration of important issues surrounding biological invasion. Funding from different sources has lead to a slight geographical bias in terms of species selected for treatment in the GISD, but searches on most of the world's countries return a good selection of invasve species with a good representation across taxa and across ecosystems.
<http://www.issg.org/database>
Global Marine Protected Area database
Information about the marine protected areas of the world, addressed on an ocean-by-ocean basis.
<http://www.mpaglobal.org/index.php?action=search>
JNCC list of UK Overseas Territories' Ramsar sites
Web-list of UKOT Ramsar-listed sites, including proposed sites. Ramsar sheets are available for designated sites
<http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1394>
Ramsar database of internationally important wetlands
Contains detailed information on the reasons for designating the Ramsar sites across the world, as well as explaining the criteria by which wetlands are assessed
<http://www.wetlands.org/RSDB/default.htm>
UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserves
Biosphere reserves are sites recognized under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme which innovate and demonstrate approaches to conservation and sustainable development.
<http://www2.unesco.org/mab/br/brdir/directory/database.asp>
UNESCO World Heritage Convention
List and map of World Heritage Sites, separate list of sites considered to be in danger, description of the criteria for selection of sites, official documents pertaining to each site
<http://whc.unesco.org/>
World Commission on Protected Areas
To promote the establishment and effective management of a worldwide, representative network of terrestrial and marine protected areas as an integral contribution to the IUCN mission.
<http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/wheritage/wheritageindex.htm>
World Database on Protected Areas
Information on designated protected areas globally, criteria for designations explained
<http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/wdpa/index.htm>
Species information
Algaebase
AlgaeBase is a database of information on algae that includes terrestrial, marine and freshwater organisms. At present, the data for the marine algae, particularly seaweeds, are the most complete.
<http://www.algaebase.org/about.lasso?-session=abv3:524731BE09f03280B0YYK4401F99#>
BirdLife International
Searchable database containing information about sites designated IBA or EBA, the species for which they are designated and threats to the sites. Also descriptions of designation criteria, and of species of conservation concern.
<http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/index.html>
Biological Collection Access Service for Europe
The Biological Collection Access Service for Europe, BioCASE, is a transnational network of biological collections of all kinds. BioCASE enables widespread unified access to distributed and heterogeneous European collection and observational databases using open-source, system-independent software and open data standards and protocols
<http://www.biocase.org/>
Caribherp
West Indian amphibians and reptiles. The database contains information about West Indian amphibians and reptiles, with future information on the Bahamas and Lesser Antilles anticipated.
<http://evo.bio.psu.edu/caribherp/>
Center for Biological Diversity
Protecting endangered species and wild places.
<http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/>
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
Databases on trade in endangered species, export quotas and the CITES registers are available through this site.
<http://www.cites.org/>
Convention on Migratory Species (the Bonn Convention, or CMS)
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (also known as CMS or Bonn Convention) aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range.
This site also contains the Appendices to the Convention, detailing the migratory species threatened with extinction and those which would benefit from or need protection.
<http://www.cms.int/about/intro.htm>
EMBL Reptile Database
A database of the world's reptile species, with distribution information included. As of 07/04/2007, this site was upgrading to a new server, and not available to use. NB: this site had popup advertising
<http://www.reptile-database.org/>
Fishbase
Global information database on fishes: FishBase is a relational database with information to cater to different professionals such as research scientists, fisheries managers, zoologists and many more. FishBase on the web contains practically all fish species known to science.
<http://www.fishbase.org/search.php>
Global Amphibian Assessment
The Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA) is the first-ever comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of the world's 5,918 known species of frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians.
<http://www.globalamphibians.org/>
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international organisation that is working to make the world's biodiversity data accessible anywhere in the world.
<http://www.gbif.org/>
Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Searchable database of numerous taxa, including plants, animals, fungi, microbes.
<http://www.itis.gov>
Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network
The Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network is an initiative of the countries of the Americas to promote compatible means of collection, communication, and exchange of biodiversity information relevant to decision-making and education using the Internet
<http://www.iabin-us.org/index.html>
IUCN: The World Conservation Union
The Union's mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.
<http://www.iucn.org>
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Species resource: searchable lists of threatened species recorded from countries of the world. Database searchable by species, distribution or threat category. Definitions of threat categories are included. Links are available in comprehensive species accounts to some of the background information for species designations
<http://www.redlist.org>
IUCN Species Survival Commission Specialist Groups
Links to information by the specialist groups responsible for the Red Data List categorisations.
<http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/>
Pacific Biodiversity Information Forum
The Pacific Biodiversity Information Forum (PBIF) seeks to develop a complete, scientifically sound, and electronically accessible Pacific biological knowledge base and make it widely available to local, national, regional and global users for decision-making. PBIF's geographic scope includes the countries of Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia, as well as the Australasian countries bordering these regions
<http://www.pbif.org/data/default.html>
ReefBase
ReefBase gathers available knowledge about coral reefs into one information repository. It is intended to facilitate analyses and monitoring of coral reef health and the quality of life of reef-dependent people, and to support informed decisions about coral reef use and management.
<http://www.reefbase.org/>
Species 2000
The goal of the Species 2000 project is to create a validated checklist of all the world's species (plants, animals, fungi and microbes). This is being achieved by bringing together an array of global species databases covering each of the major groups of organisms.
<http://www.sp2000.org/>