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Home >  Programmes & Issues >  Invasive Alien Species >  Implementation >  Glossary of Terms  

A native species of Africa, tilapia have been introduced to combat invasive aquatic plants and for aquaculture in many parts of the world. They are known to out-compete native species and reduce aquatic vegetation.
Credit: Paul Dunn - istock.photo

Glossary of Terms


This webpage provides definitions for terms related to the issue of invasive alien species under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The list is not comprehensive, for two reasons: First, focus is mainly on definitions that have been agreed at the international level, and the list does not include definitions that have been developed and agreed to only by authors of particular reports or academic articles. Second, focus is on terms that are most directly relevant to the CBD - not all possible terms from available sources are reproduced here. For example, the Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms under the International Plant Protection Convention contains approximately 200 definitions, but only a subset is included here. A database of terms based on a more comprehensive variety of sources is being compiled by CAB International and is available at http://www.cabi.org/ias.

Check one or more of the terms in the list below and click the SUBMIT button to see definitions and their sources.

Alien species Non-indigenous species
Alien invasive species New introduction
Area of low pest prevalence Non-native species
Area of low pest or disease prevalence Non-quarantine pest
Biocontrol species Non-target species
Biological control (biocontrol) Occurrence
Biological control agent Pathway
Containment Pest
Contamination Pest free area
Control (of a pest) Pest- or disease-free area
Control Pest risk analysis
Disease Pest risk assessment (for quarantine pests)
Disease agent Pest risk management (for quarantine pests)
Ecosystem Phytosanitary measures
Endangered area Quarantine pest
Entry (of a pest) Regulated article
Eradication Release (into the environment)
Establishment Risk
Establishment (of a biological control agent) Risk analysis
Exotic species Risk assessment
Foreign species Risk communication
Harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens Risk management
Hazard Sanitary measure
Indigenous species Sanitary or phytosanitary measure
Intentional introduction Spread
Introduced species Surveillance
Introduction Transferred species
Introduction (of a biological control agent) Transplanted species
Invasive alien species Unintentional introduction
Monitoring Vector
Native species    

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  • United Nations
  • United Nations Environment Programme