Gregory+Niguidula+-+Draft+Overview

The aim of this study will be to generate new knowledge pertaining to the relationship between humans and invasive species (also known as exotic or alien species). The main question addressed will be whether the current management policies and plans create environments that are ecologically beneficial or create “desired natures” that enforce anthropogenic misconceptions of how nature should be. This knowledge will be utilized by first identifying invasive species management policies that enforce desired natures and then synthesizing recommendations for how to best to eliminate these false ideals. The first stage of the project will be large-scale literature review of scientific publications and active legislation that affects the Northeastern United States. This region was chosen because of the large amount of research centers and universities in the region as well as the general proximity to Atlantic shoreline, the Great Lakes, and many other bodies of water where invasive species are of particular concern. Finding connections and inconsistencies throughout the literature (for example, whether the legislation reflects the latest scientific findings, whether invasive species are assumed to be problematic, etc.) will allow inferences to be made about how invasive species are viewed by those tasked with researching or managing them. The second stage will be a series of interviews with persons that have direct professional experience with invasive species and/or the policies that govern their management. These persons will include government officials and employees who have actively passed or enforced legislation pertaining to invasive species and scientists researching them. Interviews are necessary for further evaluating the attitudes and constructions that pervade this specific branch of ecology, especially in the case of scientists (who have been trained to remain as objective as possible while writing papers). Interviews also can reveal how stringently rules and regulations are enforced, knowledge gaps that need to be filled, and other qualitative data. After the data is analyzed, the attitudes and constructs within the communities studied that enforce the need for a desired nature over an organic one can be identified. The final phase of the project will be developing recommendations for policies and practices that draw attention to and eliminate desired natures. Recommendations that improve invasive species policy are invaluable for a variety of reasons. The damage done by invasive species is being exacerbated by climate change but the resources for solving the issue remain scarce. Invasive species pose a serious threat to food supplies, tourist destinations, and preserved wilderness worldwide. New insights into how to effectively manage invasive species would be welcomed. The study will be carried out by Gregory Niguidula, a fourth-year undergraduate pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Biology & Sustainability Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.