Game of Clones: Students Model the Dispersal and Fighting of Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

Abstract

Fallopia japonica as an invasive alien species in Europe and North America presents a significant problem to the existing flora as well as to infrastructures and agricultural land. That is why measures and attempts to control the plant are increasing rapidly. However, conservationists are not yet able to agree on the most suitable method. In the research project 'Game of Clones' , a team of scientists together with the help of high school students is spatially modeling the spreading behavior of knotweed under different circumstances and is creating and providing a board game as well as a computer simulation as an experimental platform. To develop sustainable assumptions to be able to model the responses of knotweed to each control measure, a vast understanding of the plant is necessary. The chapter covers the results of research activities and experiments within the project and gives a comprehensive review about Japanese knotweed.

The IUCN Green List as a tool for protected area management – the example of City meets Nature

“…To create maximum synergies between the neighbouring research institutions, the idea was put forward of using the site as a learning area for students on the Management of Protected Areas Master's programme; thanks to this multi-partner set-up, the site benefited from innovative international management approaches, applied by lecturers and students. This led to the following activities: -Development of training materials and educational formats (Jungmeier & Schneider 2018;Fuchs et al 2018;Jungmeier et al 2016;Preiml et al 2017).…”