Important human dimensions of the invasive alien species problem include historical, economic, cultural, linguistic, health, psychological, sociological, management, legal, philosophical, ethical and political dimensions (McNeely, 1996).

www.cia.gov/.../factbook/ flags/ch-flag.html

IUCN THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION

Introduction

Not all alien species are harmful. Many are essential to human survival and well-being:

• In many areas, the great majority of

crop plants and animal species used for food are introduced.

• Some productive forest industries and fisheries are based on introduced

species.

• In the USA, 95% of food production depends on non-indigenous species of plants and animals.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

http://www.envirotest.com/feed/type_feed.htm

Conflict of interest

• Introductions for biological control of invasive pests have often resulted in huge savings in pesticide use and crop loss.

• However, in many parts of the world, alien species have been recognised as harmful and have initiated the launch of programmes to curb present and future impacts.

• This has created a wide conflict of interest around whether alien species are problematic or not.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST cont.

http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/facts-slides-self/slide-set/grwater50.html

Conflict of interest cont.

• People are largely responsible for moving organisms.

• Biological invasions are driven by human activities and mediated by culturally shaped values and ethics.

• IAS more often seem to invade habitats altered by humans. Cities are the focal points of the global economy and the entry points for many invasives.

• Many invasive species are most prolific in urban and urban-fringe environments, where long histories of human disturbance have created abundant bare ground and many opportunities for invasion.

THE PROBLEM IS ESSENTIALLY A HUMAN ONE (McNeely, 1996)

http://www.comp.glam.ac.uk/ukais2000/UKAISVenue.htm

A human problem

• Alien birds found in urban areas in South Africa include the Indian myna, European starling, and feral pigeon. These birds were introduced into SA about a century ago (Dean, 2000).

ALIEN BIRDS

http://www.v-liz.co.uk/india/birds/c_mynah.htm

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Feral%20Pigeon

Alien birds

• Many alien species were/are intentionally introduced for economic reasons (Chapter 4).

Future generations are left with the problem.

• The dimensions of and the responses to the problem of IAS are defined by people.

Different people and groups are impacted in different ways by introduced species.

• One species may be beneficial to some, while a burden to others.

The value of an alien species to any particular interest group might change over time.

• Management is also decided by people, often leading to difficult circumstances.

THE PROBLEM IS ESSENTIALLY A HUMAN ONE cont.

A human problem cont.

• If the invasive species are not harming or excluding natives, do they constitute a real problem?

• Animal rights groups are often against eradication or control, such as with the grey squirrel in Europe.

Originally from US, it is damaging European forests and reducing the range of the indigenous red squirrel.

• The difficulty in control stems from the opposition of animal rights groups.

PERCEPTIONS

Grey squirrel Red squirrel

Perceptions

• Sport – various animals have been introduced for fishing and hunting.

FASHIONS AND SPORT

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• Fashions Possums were introduced into New Zealand from Australia for the fur trade.

Ornamental plant species have been preferred to indigenous species merely because of a fashion trend.

Trout fishermen value the species, despite knowledge of their negative impact on indigenous species.

• In Australia, Aborigines are against the government’s programme to control alien mammals, because hunting of these species is an important cultural aspect.

• In New Zealand Maori leaders were initially opposed to the eradication of Pacific Rats, which were labeled as “treasure” from their ancestors.

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• At another angle, IAS can result in the loss of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices (McNeely, 1996) when they encroach and endanger indigenous species.

• Public awareness in the USA is amounts to ± $ 314 billion per year.

• USA has recognised the importance of the human dimension in eradication and control programmes.

PUBLIC AWARENESS

http://www.environment.ky.gov/education/

Public awareness

• Well-informed and educated members of the public can make better decisions with respect to introductions and control.

The influence of animal rights groups has changed the focus of eradication programmes, with improved success rates and public enthusiasm.

• “Kill the Grey Squirrels” has changed to “Save the Red Squirrels”.

• The control of Brush-tailed Possums is now known as “Operation ForestSave”.

ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUPS – the positive side!

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Animal rights groups

• The endangered Cassowary is used as a front for controlling feral pigs and fully involves community groups.

• Controversies over feral horse management in the USA and New Zealand illustrate the conflicts within society regarding appreciated feral animals.

• Feral horses pose threats to native species and ecosystems. However, some groups argue that horses "belong" in the West, serving as replacements for indigenous horses that became extinct about 10,000 years ago.

• In New Zealand, however, there were no native land mammals before humans arrived. European settlers introduced horses into New Zealand less than 200 years ago.

FERAL ANIMAL CONTROVERSY (Mack et al, 2000)

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Feral animals

• In Britain, feral cats are the most serious threat to the persistence of many small vertebrates. One study shows that domestic cats alone kill 20 million birds annually.

CATS IN BRITAIN

Cats

• Freshwater fish http://www.ru.ac.za/affiliates/am/m&g.html• Trumpeter swans http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~insrisg/nature/swans.html• Feral animals http://www.rarehawaii.org/pigpage/animalcontrol.htm• Supersalmon http://www.ecoglobe.org/nz/news1999/d029news.htm• Invasive seaweeds http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2019/stories/20030926003403600.htm

• Look up feral horses in New Zealand

MORE EXAMPLES

More examples

Links to other chapters

I hope that you found chapter 3 informative and that you will enjoy chapter four!

Chapter 1 Definitions

Chapter 2 History, globalisation and GMOs

Chapter 3 The human dimension

Chapter 4 Pathways of introduction

Chapter 6 The ecology of biological invasions

Chapter 5 Characteristics of invasive alien species

Chapter 7 Impacts of invasive alien species

Next

Chapter 8

Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Chapter 11

Chapter 12