Identifying opportunities for invasive species management: an empirical study of stakeholder perceptions and interest in invasive species

Urban Farm DB summary

Surveying more than 2,200 people across nine stakeholder groups in Germany involved with invasive species—hunters and hunting association members, farmers, environmental and conservation organization members, allotment garden club members, animal welfare supporters, divers, zoo employees, regulatory authority administrative staff, and speleologists—this study investigated how these groups perceive invasive species. The number of invasive animal and plant species in Germany was roughly correctly estimated across all groups, but the economic damage they cause was substantially underestimated. Species named were mostly conspicuous ones such as raccoons (Procyon lotor) or Impatiens glandulifera, and while all groups showed notable interest in invasive species and regarded them as an environmental issue, the study found a need for greater education about inconspicuous invasive species and the damage they cause.