Comunicação apresentada no EPPO/CoE/IUCN ISSG/DGAV/UC/ESAC Workshop “How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants”, em Oeiras, 8 a 10 Outubro de 2013. Autores; Marchante, H.; Correia, A; Oliveira, J.; Sousa, J.; Serra, V.; Couceiro, D.; Marchante, E. & Carvalho, V. 2013. Forest Invaders – the outcomes of a project about invasive species inside and outside the classroom.

1. How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants? 08-10/10/2013 1/17
Forest Invaders
the outcomes of a project about invasive species
inside and outside the classroom
H. Marchante 1,2; A. Correia 1; J. Oliveira 1; J. Sousa 1; V. Serra 1; D.
Couceiro1; E. Marchante2 & V. Carvalho 1
1 Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra/ IPC
2 Centro de Ecologia Funcional/ Universidade de Coimbra

2. How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants? 08-10/10/2013 2/17
What is the project main
goal?
To raise public awareness about invasive
alien species (IAS)

3. How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants? 08-10/10/2013 3/17
Who is the target public?
High school students (and teachers), from 7 schools

4. How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants? 08-10/10/2013 4/17
Students (graduation & MSc)/ teachers/ researchers/
technicians from ESAC - higher education institution
Who convey the message?
…

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What is the strategy?
To engage students (and their teachers)
with IAS, through “hands on” and
demonstration activities

6. How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants? 08-10/10/2013 6/17
How?
high schools select one or several activities
that integrate the project Forest
Invaders (2013-2014)

7. How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants? 08-10/10/2013 7/17
Invaded Forest (IP)
“Healthy” Forest
Forest replaced by IP
“dead” forest due to IA
A1. IP + IA
identification
A5. control experiments:
IP + IA
IP + IA impacts at:
A3. growth parameters
A4. carbon storage
Invaded Forest (IA)
A2. Seed
Viability (IP)
IP – Invasive plants
IA – Invasive animals
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8. How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants? 08-10/10/2013 8/17
Act. 1. IAS in forest ecosystems: brief talk and species ID
Act. 2. Testing viability of invasive plant species seeds

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Act. 3. Impacts of IAS at growth parameters of forestry species
Act. 5. From theory to action – methodologies to control IAS

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But, is this experience
working?
Do students that participate in the project
know more about IAP than others?
Inquiries were made ca. 3 month after
activities…

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• Students participating at Talk
+ ID (36)
• Students participating at Talk
+ ID + field activities (38)
• Control group (students with
no activities), from the same
schools (73)
 Students of 10th, 11th and 12th grades
 3 (of 7) participating schools
 Invasive species is part of curricula before 10th grade
Questionnaires

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0
20
40
60
80
100
invasive native exotic no. IAP pathways impacts legislation
correctanswers(%)
What is the students knowledge about IAP…
Control group Talk + ID Talk + ID + field experiments
Key definitions

13. How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants? 08-10/10/2013 13/17
Invasive Plant Species - status ID
0
20
40
60
80
100
Acacia
longifolia
Eichhornia
crassipes
Ailanthus
altissima
Carpobrotus
edulis
Acacia
dealbata
Oxalis pes
caprae
Cortaderia
selloana
correctanswers(%)
Control group Talk + ID Talk + ID + field experiments

14. How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants? 08-10/10/2013 14/17
Invasive Plant Species - ID (name)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Acacia
longifolia
Eichhornia
crassipes
Ailanthus
altissima
Carpobrotus
edulis
Acacia
dealbata
Oxalis pes
caprae
Cortaderia
selloana
correctanswers(%)
Control group Talk + ID Talk + ID + field experiments

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Conclusions
Students that took part in the activities:
- Know more about IAP problem (e.g., pathways, impacts,…
- Recognize more IAP (both status and names); despite
not knowing some of the names
Student that took no part on the project only recognize 1 or
2 of the most common species (no names)
 More activities, including field experiments seem to
increase knowledge
 Up until now, the experience seems to be working

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Future
- Continue the project
- Is this (apparent) knowledge persistent in time?
- Do these students change their behavior?
- Find ways to evaluate it!
Hopefully,
- teachers keep “spreading the message” to other
students
- students integrate the knowledge, “spread the
message” and, eventually, change behaviors in the
future

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Thank you: