Communication for effective management of invasive species

Invasive species have serious effects on biodiversity, ecosystem stability, and other ecosystem services.

As many stakeholders work on combating invasive species without coordinating or sharing information, important knowledge about successful or unsuccessful strategies is often lost or only available locally.

This hinders the transition to a sustainable society, which would benefit from better communication and knowledge exchange.The project focuses on lupin and Himalayan balsam as examples of invasive species, with the goal of sharing information on effective control methods. We aim to disseminate information from previous scientific projects as well as local knowledge.

We will interview individuals who have worked on controlling these species, to gather their knowledge and answer their questions.

This direct and extremely targetted dissimination fosters communication that is collaborative and partnership-based.The results will be compiled and shared through a website that facilitates communication between control actors, as well as through an informational leaflet on invasive species.

Focusing on the control of lupin and Himalayan balsam is both necessary and timely, as these species have a significant environmental impact. The project could also serve as a model for managing other invasive species, both in Sweden and internationally.