By Charlie Shackleton, Tshepiso Seboko, and Sheunesu Ruwanza.
Many non-native plants have been introduced into public parks and gardens in cities around the world. It is known that some of these introduced species may increase in abundance and cause harm to native species and ecological processes. These are frequently termed ‘invasive alien species’ by researchers. Yet, the extent to which they are also found in the gardens of urban households, and how urban residents view and manage them, is poorly understood.
We set out to do this in 12 small towns in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. We did so by interviewing 240 people across the 12 towns, as well as searching in their gardens for the presence of any declared invasive tree or shrub species.
We found that firstly 84 % of the households had at least one invasive tree or shrub species in their garden, but only a quarter of them were aware of it. In total we found 19 different invasive tree and shrub species. Despite most being unaware of the invasive species in their gardens, more than half of the people were in favour of them being removed. However, many did not wish for them to be removed because they felt that the invasive species provided some benefits such as shade, aesthetics or fruit. Overall, people who were more educated and knowledgeable about invasive species were more willing to agree to having them removed than those who had less knowledge.
This study shows that if urban authorities and conservation agencies are concerned about invasive species then they need to include urban gardens and gardeners in any initiatives for control. More importantly, they also need to promote active campaigns to inform urban citizens about the potential harms caused by invasive species, the common ones in particular areas, and how to control them. Any information provided about invasive species needs to be content specific and accessible in local languages.
Relational Thinking 