Modes of cultural integration of invasive species (IS), relative to native species
Really pleased to be part of a new (open access) conceptual paper in npj Biodiversity, Cultural integration of native species. Led by Ivan Jaric and Jonathan Jeschke with a fascinating international team, this paper describes and problematizes the implications of cultures accepting invasive species into their landscapes and livelihoods. The range of disciplines in the writing team prompted rich debates about the issues, which are only more relevant with species ‘on the move’ due to climate change. A few case studies flesh out the paper, showing for instance the impact of the cultural integration of Black locust trees in Hungary, and of prickly pear cactus in a range of different settings. Such cultural integration can limit conservation management options, especially for species not only widely recognized and accepted but that become essential to livelihoods or lifestyles (e.g., food or sport fishing) or culturally iconic (e.g. the Sable Island Horse). We hope that this review helps provide some structure for those dealing with similar issues. Thanks to all the co-authors.
