Public perceptions about the invasive pampas grass, Cortaderia selloana: a case study of environmentally conscious citizens in Southern Europe

Abstract

Cortaderia selloana (pampas grass), native to South America, is a widespread invasive plant in several regions of the World, including the south of the Atlantic Arc (Europe), where it has been used as an ornamental species. Citizens may help to spread it, e.g., planting it in their gardens, but on the other hand, when they are aware of its invasiveness, can contribute to control it and prevent its spread. An online survey was performed to better understand the perception and knowledge of Portuguese and Spanish citizens, regarding pampas grass. The influence of education and occupation, along with age, gender and country of residence, on the knowledge and perceptions of respondents was analysed. The questionnaire was answered by 486 and 839 citizens in Portugal (PT) and Spain (ES), respectively. Most respondents were between 41 and 64 years old, mostly women in Portugal and equally women and men in Spain, with higher education and working mostly in the services sector. The majority of respondents in both countries recognized the plant, knew it is invasive and were able to name it, alerting to a possible bias of the target audience toward citizens already aware of the invasiveness of the pampas grass. Fewer respondents were aware of the legislation that limits its use, and most were unable to identify particular characteristics of the species. The results showed that respondents' occupation in PT and education in ES influenced their knowledge and perception about pampas grass. This study confirms that education and raising awareness regarding invasive species is of utmost importance, as respondents identified academic training and projects with a strong focus on public awareness as the main sources of knowledge regarding pampas grass. Better informed citizens can be part of the solution rather than part of the problem, especially regarding invasive species with such ornamental interest as pampas grass.

InvasiveArgemone mexicana’s suppressive effects onPhaseolus vulgarisandZea maysgermination and growth

“…Invasive plants, defined here as non-indigenous plants that disrupt systems where they exist, are having a deleterious impact on the environment worldwide [1][2][3]. They interfere and compete for resources such as nutrients, water, light, and space, including pollination services with native plants as well as crops [4][5][6].…”

“…Natural ecosystems are the most vulnerable to biological invasions of alien invasive plant species (AIP), which alter patterns of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning [4,7,8]. In their nonnative range, AIPs jeopardize ecological integrity [9][10][11], food production [3,12], and the provision of ecosystem services essential for human sustainability [13,14]. Billions of dollars are spent annually on the monitoring and control efforts of AIPs, which also cause higher food prices and lower farm incomes globally [9,15,16].…”

“…Because of these traits, some AIPs are able to displace native plant species while dominating invading habitats and/or rangelands [17,19,20]. In general, the majority of AIPs and their associated problems significantly impact global economic growth [3,6,14,21,22]. One of the damaging AIPs that endangers biodiversity and food production in sub-Saharan Africa is the Mexican poppy (Argemone mexicana L., Papaveraceae) [23,24].…”