Public perceptions of non-native plant species on a Chilean sub-Antarctic island
Humans are the main drivers of the introduction, establishment and spread of non-native species worldwide but they have traditionally been excluded from management. Nowadays, the social component of non-native species is increasingly considered. In this paper, we investigated understanding, percepti...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | unknown |
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Taylor & Francis
2020
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| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.11530428.v1 https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/Public_perceptions_of_non-native_plant_species_on_a_Chilean_sub-Antarctic_island/11530428/1 |
| Summary: | Humans are the main drivers of the introduction, establishment and spread of non-native species worldwide but they have traditionally been excluded from management. Nowadays, the social component of non-native species is increasingly considered. In this paper, we investigated understanding, perceptions and attitudes towards management of non-native herbaceous plant species on Navarino, a remote Chilean sub-Antarctic island. Overall, our study showed a general understanding of the non-native species concept among the interviewees but revealed a lack of consciousness regarding non-native plants species in the local context. Interestingly, our study also revealed many positive values associated with non-native plants species on Navarino, particularly the esthetic value. Whilst some non-native plants were strictly associated with positive values, such as common daisy ( Bellis perennis ) and white clover ( Trifolium repens ), most species were associated with conflicting values. As a key result, our study lastly showed that most interviewees were indifferent about the management of the non-native herbaceous plant species. We, therefore, suggest (i) increasing the awareness of stakeholders with respect to non-native plants, (ii) incorporating stakeholder’s values into future management decisions and (iii) considering the strategic location of Navarino Island as a potential stepping stone for the dispersion of non-native plants species towards the Antarctic. |
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