Today I was reading the news and came across this article about how eBay is aiding the spread of invasive species. Below is the link to the article. In the article, they talk about how over a 50 day period researchers were able to monitor from the supply side (they didn’t have access to private information like geographic location information to confirm regions actually doing business) of the sale of invasive species, in which countries they were being offered from and how often they were available. One of the invasive species they found was up for sale most often was the passion fruit, which is highly invasive in the tropics.

This article particularly interests me because in my conservation biology class we have been looking at the impacts of invasive species on biodiversity and ecosystems. We did a lab where we went to Jacobsburg Park and went to an edge (where the park meets the parking lot). We identified the invasive species, saw first-hand the impacts the invasive species were having on native species (ie crowding out and the suffocation of native species). We then went out in the field and had the opportunity to remove purple loosestrife. I also have come in contact with invasive species in this class- seeing the Japanese Knotweed on the Delaware River and the purple loosestrife when we went with Professor Brandes to Sullivan Park. In reality ever outing I go out on whether in this class or any of my other courses invasive species are present.

The last section of the paper starts with quote from the study’s author, Franziska Humair, “To put it briefly, the vast majority of invasive species can be easily obtained with just a click of the mouse.” A frightening idea, given how harmful invasive species are and how now they are being spread by everyday people over the internet without any monitoring.

http://www.futurity.org/invasive-plants-ebay-1018652-2/