Plants that move: out of place or making places? Invasive trees, livelihoods, and sustainability around the Indian Ocean
Christian Kull
Time: 12–1 pm
Venue: M107 Lecture Theatre, Marine Campus
How should we think about plants that move? The field of invasion biology suggests they are "out of place", weedy, and often dangerous. Environmental historians celebrate the heroic sailors and explorers that moved plants in the past. Geographers investigate how new plants contribute to the "making of place", the economic development and social identity of different regions. In this presentation, I use the example of the genus Acacia (and briefly, the baobab) and their movements around and beyond the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, India, South Africa, Australia, and more) to discuss how the same plants can be seen as alien invaders, as cultural heritage, as precious resources, and as constituents of novel biogeographies. I argue that plants that move are both out of place and making places. They are neither simply good nor bad. They are socio-natural hybrids that are part of broader, multi-scale processes of landscape transformation and socio-ecological adaptation.
