The electronic trade in endemic plants of Cyprus through the Internet

This study assesses the current situation regarding the electronic trade of the Cypriot endemic plants. We examine the plant material sold over the Internet, prices and vendors, and we explore to what extent this activity complies with national laws and international treaties. Overall, 48 taxa (34% of the Cypriot endemic flora) are traded by 21 nurseries of Europe and North America, belonging mostly to Lamiaceae, Brassicaceae, Iridaceae, Asparagaceae, Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Seeds are the commonest form of sale; prices range from €0.12 to 0.79 per seed and from €0.31 to 2.56 per gram. The price range for live plants is €5.67–30.22 (highest for Quercus alnifolia). Among the traded taxa, two are designated critically endangered, another two endangered, four vulnerable, 12 are globally rare and threatened and 12 are protected at the international level. None of the nurseries surveyed seem to have been granted a permit by the authorities of Cyprus to harvest and sell its wild flora, at least during the last decade. State authorities should extend the current legislative framework so as to cover all endemic and nationally threatened taxa, monitor their wild populations, engage in routine surveillance of their e-trade and regulate access to the country’s genetic resources.本研究针对塞浦路斯特有植物的电商贸易现状展开评估。调研团队对互联网在售的植物材料、售卖价格及经营商家进行了全面梳理，并探究此类贸易活动在多大程度上符合国家法律与国际条约的相关要求。本次共纳入48个植物分类群（占塞浦路斯特有植物区系的34%），相关贸易由欧洲与北美的21家苗圃开展，这些分类群主要隶属于唇形科（Lamiaceae）、十字花科（Brassicaceae）、鸢尾科（Iridaceae）、天门冬科（Asparagaceae）、豆科（Fabaceae）以及菊科（Asteraceae）。种子是最常见的售卖形式，其售价区间为每粒0.12至0.79欧元，每克0.31至2.56欧元；活体植株的售价区间为5.67至30.22欧元，其中阿尔尼芙栎（Quercus alnifolia）的售价最高。在本次涉及的交易分类群中，有2个被列为极危物种、2个为濒危物种、4个为易危物种，12个属于全球稀有且受威胁物种，另有12个在国际层面受到保护。据调研，在过去十年间，受访的所有苗圃均未获得塞浦路斯官方颁发的、用于采集和售卖该国野生植物的许可。塞浦路斯国家主管部门应完善现行立法框架，将所有特有物种及国家受威胁物种纳入监管范畴，对其野生种群开展常态化监测，定期对电商贸易进行常规监管，并规范该国遗传资源的获取途径。