Biological Invasions and Global Trade

Biological invasions are a large-scale phenomenon considered after habitat loss, the major threat to world biodiversity. In the last decades due to global trade and improvement of transport, humans and their goods have moved around the globe at an increasing rate. As an outcome of human activities, introductions of alien species have increased significantly resulting in a substantially increment in the number of pests caused by exotic organisms. The continuous expansion of invasive species is responsible for a significant impact on biodiversity and natural resources, industries, commerce and human health. Today the expansion and acceleration of biological invasions is an ecological problem at planetary scale equivalent to some of the well-known environmental issues such as global warming and rainforest destruction. Teacher’s understandings of this complex topic and appropriate environmental-based science curricula are important steps to educate future citizens to be capable to limit further introduction of invasive species.