MICA - Muskrat occurrences collected in West Flanders, Belgium is an occurrence dataset published by the Research Institute of Nature and Forest (INBO). It is part of the LIFE project MICA, in which innovative techniques are tested for a more efficient control of muskrat and coypu populations, both invasive species. This dataset contains muskrat trap captures. Here it is published as a standardized Darwin Core Archive and includes for each occurrence record an occurrenceID, date, location, the number of recorded individuals, status (present/absent) and scientific name. Issues with the dataset can be reported at https://github.com/inbo/mica-occurrences/issues We have released this dataset to the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero waiver. We would appreciate it if you follow the INBO norms for data use (https://www.inbo.be/en/norms-data-use) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, don't hesitate to contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata or via opendata@inbo.be. The data were collected as part of the MICA project, which received funding from the European Union’s LIFE Environment sub-programme under the grant agreement LIFE18 NAT/NL/001047.

This camera trap dataset is derived from the <a href="https://www.agouti.eu">Agouti</a> project <em>MICA - Management of Invasive Coypu and muskrAt in Europe</em>. Data have been standardized to Darwin Core using the <a href="https://inbo.github.io/camtraptor/">camtraptor</a> R package and only include observations (and associated media) of animals. Excluded are records that document blank or unclassified media, vehicles and observations of humans. Geospatial coordinates are rounded to 0.001 degrees. The original dataset description follows. <em>MICA - Muskrat and coypu camera trap observations in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany</em> is an occurrence dataset published by the Research Institute of Nature and Forest (INBO). It is part of the LIFE project MICA, in which innovative techniques are tested for a more efficient control of muskrat and coypu populations, both invasive species. The dataset contains camera trap observations of muskrat and coypu, as well as many other observed species. Issues with the dataset can be reported at <a href="https://github.com/inbo/mica-occurrences/issues">https://github.com/inbo/mica-occurrences/issues</a> We have released this dataset to the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero waiver. We would appreciate it if you follow the INBO norms for data use (https://www.inbo.be/en/norms-data-use) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, don't hesitate to contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata or via opendata@inbo.be. This dataset was collected using infrastructure provided by INBO and funded by Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) as part of the Belgian contribution to LifeWatch. The data were collected as part of the MICA project, which received funding from the European Union’s LIFE Environment sub-programme under the grant agreement LIFE18 NAT/NL/001047. The dataset was published with funding from Stichting NLBIF - Netherlands Biodiversity Information Facility.

Florabank2 is a database that contains distributional data on the bryophytes of Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region. It holds about Two hundred thousand records of mosses (Liverworths, Hornworths and Mosses), dating from 1800 till present. The database is an initiative of the Bryological and Lichenological Society of Flanders “Werkgroep Bryologie en Lichenologie” (www.mossenkorstmossen.be), the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO: www.inbo.be) and the National Botanic Garden of Belgium (www.br.fgov.be). Florabank aims at centralizing botanical distribution data gathered by both professional and amateur botanists and to make these data available to the benefit of nature conservation, policy and scientific research. The occurrence data contained in Florabank2 are extracted from checklists, literature and herbarium specimen information. Of survey lists, the locality name (verbatimLocality), species name, observation date and IFBL square code, the grid system used for plant mapping in Belgium (Van Rompaey 1943), is recorded. Analysis of herbarium specimens in the collection of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium, the University of Ghent and the University of Liège provided interesting distribution knowledge concerning rare species, this information is also included in Florabank2. All data in Florabank2 is georeferenced. Every record holds the decimal centroid coordinates of the IFBL square containing the observation. The uncertainty radius is the smallest circle possible covering the whole IFBL square, which can measure 1 Km² or 4 Km². Florabank is a work in progress and new occurrences are added as they become available; the dataset will be updated through GBIF on a regularly base.

Mica - Muskrat and Coypu and Raccoon Occurrences collected by ITAW, Germany is an occurrence dataset published by the Research Institute of Nature and Forest (INBO) and ITAW (Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research. It is part of the LIFE MICA - Management of Invasive Coypu and muskrat in Europe project on Muskrat monitoring networks in Flanders, The Netherlands and Germany. This dataset contains Muskrat, Raccoon and Coypu counts. Here it is published as a standardized Darwin Core Archive and includes for each occurrence record an recordID, date, location, samplingProtocol, the number of recorded individuals, status (present/absent) and scientific name. Issues with the dataset can be reported at https://github.com/inbo/muskrat-uvw-occurrences/issues We have released this dataset to the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero waiver. We would appreciate it if you follow the INBO norms for data use (https://www.inbo.be/en/norms-data-use) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, don't hesitate to contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata or via opendata@inbo.be.

The checklist of alien herpetofauna of Belgium is a species checklist dataset published by the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). It contains information on alien amphibian and reptile species recorded in the wild in Belgium since 1968. Both established species and occasional records are included, but with information on the degree of establishment of species following the unified invasion framework of Blackburn et al. (2011). The checklist is published here as a standardized Darwin Core Archive and includes for each (sub)species: the scientific name and classification (in the taxon core), the presence in Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region, year of first and last observation in Belgium (given as a year range in the event date in the distribution extension), coarse habitat information (in the species profile extension), and the degree of establishment, pathway(s) of introduction and native range(s) (in the description extension). Issues with the dataset can be reported at https://github.com/trias-project/alien-herpetofauna-belgium. We have released this dataset to the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero waiver. We would appreciate it if you follow the GBIF citation guidelines (https://www.gbif.org/citation-guidelines) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, don’t hesitate to contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata or via https://twitter.com/trias_project. This dataset was published as open data for the TrIAS project (Tracking Invasive Alien Species http://trias-project.be, Vanderhoeven et al. 2017), with technical support provided by the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). It is selected as one of the authoritative sources for the compilation of a unified and reproducible checklist of alien species in Belgium.

The Checklist of non-native freshwater fishes in Flanders, Belgium is a species checklist dataset published by the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). It contains information on 23 alien fish species occurring in Flemish natural and semi-natural waterbodies, detected in sampling between 1992 and 2006. This species checklist was assessed within the framework of the Freshwater Fish Monitoring Network by Verreycken et al. (2007) and reassessed for Verreycken et al. (2018). Here it is published as a standardized Darwin Core Archive and includes for each species: the scientific name, kingdom, and stable taxon identifier (in the taxon core), the Dutch and English vernacular name (in the vernacular names extension), the year of first introduction in Flanders (given as a year range, with the year of last observation empty), the pathway(s) of introduction and the degree of establishment in Flanders (in the distribution extension), coarse habitat information (in the species profile extension) and native range(s) (in the description extension). The dataset can be used for researching and managing aquatic invasions or compiling regional and national registries of alien species. Issues with the dataset can be reported at: https://github.com/trias-project/alien-fishes-checklist We have released this dataset to the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero waiver. We would appreciate it if you follow the the INBO norms for data use (https://www.inbo.be/en/norms-data-use) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, don’t hesitate to contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata or via https://twitter.com/LifeWatchINBO. This dataset was published as open data for the TrIAS project (Tracking Invasive Alien Species http://trias-project.be, Vanderhoeven et al. 2017), with technical support provided by the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). It is selected as one of the authoritative sources for the compilation of a unified and reproducible checklist of alien species in Belgium.

The “Occurrences from the Alien CSI Bioblitz: citizen science to engage society in invasive species monitoring” dataset is an occurrence dataset published by the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) in collaboration with the <a href="https://alien-csi.eu/">AlienCSI </a> COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology, CA17122) research network (Roy et al. 2018). The dataset contains all the alien species data collected during the <a href="https://iasbioblitz.creaf.cat/">Alien CSI Bioblitz</a>. This bioblitz was organized for the first time in May 2022 as a three day event and is planned to be repeated yearly. This bioblitz activity aims to engage society in invasive species monitoring. The first edition included guided bioblitzes in thirteen different protected areas across twelve European countries. The data are published as a standardized Darwin Core Archive. Issues with the dataset can be reported at https://github.com/alien-csi/bioblitz-occurrences/issues We have released this dataset to the public domain under a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication. We would appreciate it if you follow the INBO norms for data use (https://www.inbo.be/en/norms-data-use) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, don't hesitate to contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata.

Florabank1 is a database that contains distributional data on the wild flora (indigenous species, archeophytes and naturalised aliens) of Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region. It holds about 3 million records of vascular plants, dating from 1800 till present. Furthermore, it includes ecological data on vascular plant species, redlist category information, Ellenberg values, legal status, global distribution, seed bank etc. The database is an initiative of "Flo.Wer" (http://www.plantenwerkgroep.be), the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) (http://www.inbo.be) and the National Botanic Garden of Belgium (http://www.br.fgov.be). Florabank aims at centralizing botanical distribution data gathered by both professional and amateur botanists and to make these data available to the benefit of nature conservation, policy and scientific research. The occurrence data contained in Florabank1 are extracted from checklists, literature and herbarium specimen information. Of survey lists, the locality name (verbatimLocality), species name, observation date and IFBL square code - the grid system used for plant mapping in Belgium (Van Rompaey 1943) - are recorded. For records dating from the period 1972–2004 all pertinent botanical journals dealing with Belgian flora were systematically screened. Analysis of herbarium specimens in the collection of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium, the University of Ghent and the University of Liège provided interesting distribution knowledge concerning rare species, this information is also included in Florabank1. The IFBL data recorded before 1972 is available through the Belgian GBIF node (http://www.gbif.org/dataset/940821c0-3269-11df-855a-b8a03c50a862), not through Florabank1, to avoid duplication of information. A dedicated portal providing access to all currently published Belgian IFBL records is available at: http://projects.biodiversity.be/ifbl. All data in Florabank1 is georeferenced. Every record holds the decimal centroid coordinates of the > IFBL square containing the observation. The uncertainty radius is the smallest circle possible covering the whole IFBL square, which can measure 1 km² or 4 km². Florabank is a work in progress and new occurrences are added as they become available; the dataset will be updated through GBIF on a regularly base.

The RIPARIAS target species list is a species checklist dataset published by the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). It contains (1) the target species of the LIFE RIPARIAS project (LIFE19 NAT/BE/000953), all of them invasive alien species (IAS) of the Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 (https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/invasivealien/) and (2) the alert list species that currently do not occur in the LIFE RIPARIAS project area, but have proven to have negative impacts on biodiversity and need to be rapidly removed should they be encountered. The alert list was drafted within the LIFE RIPARIAS project following an evidence-based methodology involving climate matching and risk assessment (Branquart et al. 2022). By publishing this list on GBIF it can be used for general reference, early warning systems, data extractions, baseline reporting, project KPIs etc. Issues with the dataset can be reported at: https://github.com/riparias/riparias-target-list We have released this dataset to the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero waiver. We would appreciate it if you follow the INBO norms for data use (https://www.inbo.be/en/norms-data-use) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, don't hesitate to contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata or via opendata@inbo.be. This dataset was published as open data for the LIFE RIPARIAS project (Reaching Integrated and Prompt Action in Response to Invasive Alien Species https://www.riparias.be/), with technical support provided by the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO).

The List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (also called the Union list) is a species checklist dataset published by the Research Institute of Nature and Forest (INBO). This list contains regulated invasive alien species (IAS) that require action at European Union Level, and is at the core of Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of IAS (the IAS Regulation). The list has an evidence base in risk assessments, showing potentially significant adverse impacts on biodiversity or related ecosystem services. The species included on the Union list are subject to restrictions and measures set out in the Regulation. These include restrictions on keeping, importing, selling, breeding and growing. Member States are required to take action on pathways of unintentional introduction, to take measures for the early detection and rapid eradication of these species, and to manage species that are already widely spread in their territory. The list is dynamic and is subject to regular updates when new species are added. Here, it is published as a standardized Darwin Core Archive and includes for each species: the scientific name, higher classification and stable taxon identifier (in the taxon core), the English, Dutch, French and German common names in line with www.iasregulation.be, the date of entry into force (the date the provisions of the Regulation enter into force for the species, as mentioned in the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/141, 2017/1263, 2019/1262, 2022/1203). Issues with the dataset can be reported at https://github.com/riparias/union-list/issues. For more information on the EU IAS Regulation and the list of IAS of Union concern, please see the European Commission webpage on IAS (https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/invasive-alien-species_en), the IUCN website on the IAS Regulation (https://www.iucn.org/our-work/topic/invasive-alien-species) and the European Alien Species Information Network. We have released this dataset to the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero waiver. We would appreciate it if you follow the INBO norms for data use (https://www.inbo.be/en/norms-data-use) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, don't hesitate to contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata or via opendata@inbo.be. This dataset was published as open data for the LIFE RIPARIAS project (Reaching Integrated and Prompt Action in Response to Invasive Alien Species https://www.riparias.be/), with technical support provided by the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO).