TY - JOUR

T1 - Does the exotic equal pollution? Landscape methods for solving the dilemma of using native versus non-native plant species in drylands

AU - Kotzen, Benz

AU - Branquinho, Cristina

AU - Prasse, Ruediger

PY - 2020/12/6

Y1 - 2020/12/6

N2 - There is a need to resolve methods to determine the merits of native versus non-native plant use in drylands and indeed in more temperate areas around the world. This is because whilst plant introductions may have positive objectives, they can have significant negative landscape and environmental impacts. A key discussion on this issue focuses on whether the use of non-native plant species can be considered to be pollution and pollutive based on the concept that pollution can be regarded as ‘matter out of place’. The consequences of putting the wrong plant species in the wrong place can be extremely detrimental to the landscape character, quality and value of the land, let alone the effects on ecosystem structure and functioning as well as on biodiversity. These effects can also affect human communities who may rely on the landscape, for example, for tourism. It is thus necessary that the discussion on how decisions are made in determining plant choice evolves so that the right decisions are made when planting is necessary, for the land, for nature and for the people. This discussion has been initiated through COST Action ES1104, which focused on the restoration of degraded dry and arid lands. This article discusses a number of landscape methods based on sustainability principles to determine when and where native and non-native plants could and should be used.

AB - There is a need to resolve methods to determine the merits of native versus non-native plant use in drylands and indeed in more temperate areas around the world. This is because whilst plant introductions may have positive objectives, they can have significant negative landscape and environmental impacts. A key discussion on this issue focuses on whether the use of non-native plant species can be considered to be pollution and pollutive based on the concept that pollution can be regarded as ‘matter out of place’. The consequences of putting the wrong plant species in the wrong place can be extremely detrimental to the landscape character, quality and value of the land, let alone the effects on ecosystem structure and functioning as well as on biodiversity. These effects can also affect human communities who may rely on the landscape, for example, for tourism. It is thus necessary that the discussion on how decisions are made in determining plant choice evolves so that the right decisions are made when planting is necessary, for the land, for nature and for the people. This discussion has been initiated through COST Action ES1104, which focused on the restoration of degraded dry and arid lands. This article discusses a number of landscape methods based on sustainability principles to determine when and where native and non-native plants could and should be used.

KW - alien plants

KW - arid lands

KW - degraded areas

KW - drylands

KW - ecology

KW - introduced plants

KW - landscape restoration

KW - native plants

KW - plant material choice

KW - planting

KW - planting strategy

KW - pollution

KW - re-vegetation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088119875&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/ldr.3650

DO - 10.1002/ldr.3650

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85088119875

VL - 31

SP - 2925

EP - 2935

JO - Land Degradation and Development

JF - Land Degradation and Development

SN - 1085-3278

IS - 18

ER -