Telecoupling lens for integrating ecological and human dimensions of the biological invasion problem

Abstract

Human activities that define the Anthropocene can lead to multi-faceted (social, ecological, economic) problems, such as biological invasions. Yet, interdisciplinary collaborations focused on understanding their causes and finding solutions remain relatively scarce. Telecoupling lens helps to conceptualize the biological invasions process (transport–introduction–establishment–invasion) across distal coupled human–nature systems. Using invasive non-native plants as an example, we explain how their invasion can alter either one or both of the sending (native) and receiving (invaded) systems. This occurs through multi-directional flows (e.g., species, knowledge), mediated by numerous dynamic agents (e.g., policymakers, immigrants, gardeners, scientists) that act at different temporal and geographic scales. Importantly, adopting the telecoupling perspective, we can incorporate policy and management into the invasion process by defining information flows and institutions as influential factors of the invasion process. Despite its substantial potential to improve our understanding of invasive species, the integration of the telecoupling perspective with traditional invasion frameworks remains largely unexplored