Invasive Species

Why is communication important in introduced species?

The introduction and intentional release of exotic species is a frequent problem throughout the world. For this reason, raising awareness about the problem of biological invasions will help decrease the probability of introduction and spread of additional exotic species.

Thanks to this project, the dispersion of species introduced by human actions will be avoided, this, in turn, will avoid negative impacts on the ecosystems that this frog could invade, keep the current invasion on a controllable scale and reduce the cost and effort required to develop management actions.

Communication is a fundamental tool in the fight against biological invasions. Keeping people informed about the problem helps prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species.

In many cases, the introduction or dispersion of problematic species occurs due to the simple ignorance of the people who release them or transport them to other locations. For example, there are often cases of people who release their exotic pets in the natural environment or people who introduce a plant to “beautify the forest.” These actions with potentially negative implications for the environment can be avoided with a well-informed community.

In addition, by increasing the level of acceptance of people towards management measures, future conflicts between local residents and environmental authorities will be avoided. Such efforts could even encourage community participation in the control of this potentially problematic species, increasing the probability of success of the proposed strategies.