One Earth
Volume 4, Issue 5, 21 May 2021, Pages 666-679
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Review
Unwelcome exchange: International trade as a direct and indirect driver of biological invasions worldwide

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.04.015Get rights and content
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Summary

Biological invasions are synonymous with international trade. The direct effects of trade have largely been quantified using relationships between imports and the number of alien species in a region or patterns in the global spread of species linked to shipping and air traffic networks. But trade also has an indirect role on biological invasions by transforming the environments and societies of exporting and importing nations. Here, both the direct and indirect roles of trade on biological invasions, as well as their interaction, are examined for the first time. Future trends in international trade, including e-commerce, new trade routes, and major infrastructure developments, will lead to the pressure on national borders soon outstripping the resources available for intervention. The current legislative and scientific tools targeting biological invasions are insufficient to deal with this growing threat and require a new mindset that focuses on curbing the pandemic risk posed by alien species.

Keywords

ballast water
biosecurity
climate change
exotic
globalization
overharvesting
pathways
vectors

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