Public knowledge on invasive alien plants and biological control in the southern hemisphere

GERVAZONI, PAULA; COETZEE, JULIE; SOSA, ALEJANDRO; BERTUCCI, SABRINA; FRANCESCHINI, CELESTE

Simposio; XVI International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds; 2023

FuEDEI

Invasive alien plants (IAPs) are one of the causes of massive biodiversity loss and ecosystem imbalances with consequent high management costs. Currently, the importance of the social dimension within the problem of IAPs is increasingly recognized, since the inclusion of public opinion and participation is crucial to reduce the rate of spread of IAPs as well as to demand action from decision makers. Likewise, social perception of IAPs has a significant impact on the success of biocontrol programs. In this study, we assessed i) the social knowledge on IAP and biological control in several countries of the southern hemisphere, with contrasting IAP management scenarios (longer vs shorter history of application of biological control of weeds), and ii) public awareness on the invasion of Iris pseudacorus L (Iridaceae), a European IAP that causes major impacts in wetlands of all the evaluated countries. By sharing a questionnaire on social media, 1527 responses were obtained from respondents in South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Uruguay. Results showed that in Argentina and Uruguay, there was less familiarity with the terms “invasive alien plant” and “biological control”. In addition, fewer than half of these respondents knew of examples of biological control against weeds applied in their country, while in South Africa and New Zealand, the percentage was significantly higher. There were also considerable differences between countries in terms of public knowledge of the alien invasive status of I. pseudacorus, with less awareness from respondents in Argentina and Uruguay. This becomes more relevant when considering that Argentina and Uruguay are countries with a higher level of invasion and impacts from this plant than South Africa or New Zealand. The greater awareness of IAPs and biological control in South Africa and New Zealand is a result of a longer history of weed biological control than in South America. Our results show contrasting situations regarding the social perception of IAP and biological control between countries. Furthermore, it represents the first analysis regarding public knowledge of those topics, that can be used in order to improve environmental education regarding IAP and biological control in these South American countries