Specimens, parts and products of threatened species are commonly traded on the internet. This could threaten the survival of some wild populations. We outline 2 methods to monitor internet sales of species to assess potential threats and inform conservation actions. Our first method combines systematic monitoring of online offers of plants for sale with expert consultation. Our second method utilises a computational model, trained to expert-classified records using probabilistic inference, to predict unknown properties of the traded taxa. We used these methods to monitor internet trade in 5 genera of succulent plant species endemic to Madagascar, some of which have recently been listed for trade regulation under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This revealed potential threats to wild populations: for instance, almost all species recorded were of high conservation concern, yet most offers for live plants were of apparently wild-collected specimens (85%). Our model predicted with 89% accuracy whether the plants were classified as propagated or wild collected by an expert, although accuracy dropped for data collected in the following summer. Our results highlight potential threats by internet trade to the survival of some CITES and non-CITES listed plant species from Madagascar. These should be addressed by further conservation actions and policy. More generally, our results reveal how standardised internet surveys can provide information on levels of trade in wild-collected threatened species that could impact on natural populations, and can provide data that can be incorporated into models to facilitate future monitoring and enforcement.

The aim of this study was to test the effects of temperature on phenolic content of the brown seaweed Cystoseira amentacea. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites involved in different protection mechanisms as, for example, against grazers, epiphytes and UV radiation. Seasonal variations of phenolic content in C. amentacea were analysed and laboratory experiments, in which C. amentacea was exposed to an increase of temperature (258C and 308C), were performed. Total phenolic content (TPC) was determined colorimetrically with the Folin -Ciocalteu reagent. In C. amentacea, a seasonal pattern in TPC was observed, with a maximum value in winter-spring. C. amentacea responded significantly to the temperature treatments with a consistent decrease in TPC after 48 h.

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The illegal trade in endangered plants damages both the environment and local communities by threatening and destroying numerous species and important natural resources. There is very little research which systematically addresses this issue by identifying specific opportunities for crime. This article presents the results of an interdisciplinary study which brings together criminological and conservation science expertise to identify criminal opportunities in the illegal wild plant trade and suggest strategies in order to prevent and mitigate the problem. Methodologically, the study adapts a crime proofing of legislation approach to the UN Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and is based on documentary and interview data. Situational crime prevention is used as a framework to provide points for effective intervention.