Community narratives and local impacts of invasion in the Eastern Cape

A critical invasion ethnography of black wattle

Bibliographic Data

ID4464487
AuthorsJules M Reynolds (0000-0002-2623-525X), Jules Reynolds (University of Wisconsin–Madison, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume5
Issue3
Pages1639-1653
Publication date2022-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEnvironment and Planning E Nature and Space (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2514-8486 • E-ISSN: 2514-8494
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/25148486211020855
OpenAlexW3170457219
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited57

Since 1995, the South African government has spearheaded a national invasive species campaign known as the Working for Water Program with the dual objectives of invasive species eradication and rural development. This national narrative on invasive species reflects a politicized research agenda and a wealth of material resources directed toward eradication, yet does not accurately portray the reality of invasion at the village level. In particular, Acacia mearnsii de Wild, or the black wattle tree, is classified as one of the worst invasive species in South Africa and a primary target for Working for Water, yet represents an important livelihood resource for rural communities and impacts community members differentially. To better understand these local rural realties, I use a critical invasion science approach to interrogate the local experiences and narratives of black wattle invasion in a rural pastoral community in the Eastern Cape. Within this community, local understandings and impacts of black wattle are nuanced, spatially variable, and reflect complex knowledge politics and political economies. As invasion research moves to incorporate the human and local dimension of invasion for improved policy, it is imperative to fully consider this differentiation of perspectives and impacts within the local community

Agriculture · Archaeology · Biology · Cape · Ethnography · Geography · Invasive species · Livelihood · Local community · Narrative · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation · Ecology