The rise of the human species would not have been possible without the ability of travel and the expansion of available destinations. This was achieved via the creation of such modes of transport as the train, the automobile, and especially for long distances, the plane and the ship. As time went on, more and more of the basic problems were solved and traveling became less of a harrowing task and more of a common endeavor. Now that the common issues are solved, we now realize some of the ecological impacts distant traveling is making, especially in invasive species. Planes and boats are carrying in different species from one ecosystem to another completely unique one. Sometimes, this maybe intended, a passenger thinking a particular species has a unique aesthetic to be brought back home. Other times, it is unintentional, such as when a species may accidentally be carried onto cargo planes or other planes or especially when the ballast water of one area is transported to the waters of a ships home.
In any case, Invasive species can be an ecological nuisance and often detrimental to other environment. A new invasive species may be coming in, but none of its natural predators come with it. With no natural predators such species have the freedom to grow outwards at incredible rates. Along with no natural predators, these species will often have defense mechanisms that the endemic species have no natural defense to, such as the porcelain berry that will inject a poison into the ground so that no surrounding plants may grow around it. Some other examples of invasive species are Phragmites australis, the European grass reed that can have devastating effects on east coast estuaries, or Starlings, the British speckled-wing black bird from England that’s beginning to take over as a major factor of the bird population.
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