Science Seminar: The Pet Trade and A Comprehensive Approach to Assessing Invasive Species Risk with Brett Scheffers

Abstract: The rapid, global redistribution of species due to climate change and the exotic pet trade poses significant invasion risks. Brett Scheffers will present results from a nationwide survey of pet stores in the USA – the largest market for exotic pets – and discuss the invasion potential for 1,178 terrestrial vertebrates species found for sale. In the second part of his seminar, Scheffers will outline a comprehensive approach to invasive species risk assessment. Focusing on a subset of these species in the trade, they gathered a diverse group of experts ranging from academics to practitioners to rank the impacts of invasive species in the Southeastern US. Scheffers and his team designed a user-friendly web application for data elicitation, input, and analysis during this workshop. This method not only provided detailed data for modeling invasion dynamics but also enabled real-time feedback and adjustments. By integrating expert opinions, physiological suitability data, and citizen science insights, they evaluated how vertebrate species at various stages of the invasion curve might pose future invasion threats.

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