Question

Which of the following describes an example of a potentially invasive species? A.) Fruit covered with fruit fly eggs is trucked from Mexico to Canada. B.) Racehorses are shipped by boat from New York to London. C.) Coffee beans in burlap bags are flown from Africa to the U.S. D.) Tropical fish captured in an Indonesian river are packed on ice and shipped to a seattle restaurant.

Answer 1

Choice D is right out, since the fish are dead and can't reproduce (at least, I'd assume they're dead- they can't breathe!)

The other three all have something going for them, but I'd argue that A is the best choice.

Racehorses are hardly invasive. Furthermore, horses have lived in Europe for millenia

Coffee beans are an unlikely choice. They require a specific climate to develop properly, meaning that they probably wouldn't even grow in the U.S.

Fruit flies are quite common across the globe, which casts some doubt over choice A. However, it fits the model well- they're being unintentionally introduced to a new environment that might not be prepared for them. I'd go with that.

Answer 2

Thanks!