An investigation of the connection between the number of Invasive Alien Plant Species and rates of tourism within US National Parks
2022. An investigation of the connection between the number of Invasive Alien Plant Species and rates of tourism within US National Parks. McGill University
ABSTRACT: A consequence of globalization has been the Earth becoming a highly interconnected network of ecosystems. Humans have and are impacting the world in unprecedented and alarming ways – no area globally is free from our influence, and the consequences of these impacts are still unfolding. One such example is the spread of invasive alien species, where non-native species are introduced and become established in regions outside their natural limits. Tourism poses a massive threat; it is an efficient medium through which the ecosystem disturbance of globalization can occur. To test the effects of tourism on biodiversity, I set out to determine if there was a correlation between the number of visitors to US National Parks, and the respective numbers of invasive alien species present using data from the National Park Services website. While the results suggest that there isn’t a connection between the two, they also highlight the need for more efficient management and sampling to truly understand the effect that individuals can have on ecosystems. The full impact of human activity is yet to be determined and this paper highlights yet another area of uncertainty.