ILIAS

Under contract with Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Our current and accelerating socioenvironmental crisis is felt not only by human populations but also affects non-human life including plants, animals and the ecosystems of which they are a part. These somewhat less visible but nevertheless dramatic changes include the increasing spread of invasive species as well as a growing number of extinctions of native species, both of which profoundly affect the ecosystems in which they take place. This ecological upheaval is unsettling and the academic, social and cultural debates and disagreements add to a sense of anxiety. But there are also a range of emerging voices that enable us to reframe these issues and to identify new ways of thinking about and indeed responding to these changes. These include, among others, approaches informed by different socio-cultural contexts, which include Indigenous and First Nations perspectives, but also those of practitioners, educators and activists in the field, some of which are working to incorporate the rights of nature in national and international law. This book aims to add these voices to the current debate on environmental change, intersecting between science/governance and cultural, historical and economic perceptions and frameworks. By doing this it will  emphasize the plural dimensions of biodiversity and socio-biodiversity, defined as the interrelationship between biological diversity and the diversity of sociocultural systems. The book engages with local knowledge systems, cultural diversity and epistemological plurality, foregrounding knowledge co-production, intercultural dialogue and citizen participation as key to designing just ecological transitions, climate adaptation and a more sustainable future. 

Taking the issue of invasive species as a case in point, the book explores different ways of knowing and relating to nature and traces how local and indigenous knowledge systems, cultural narratives and historical experiences shape perceptions of species and ecological change. It examines the ways in which perceptions of these species are shaped by cultural, historical and economic contexts and how these perceptions intersect with European policies and governance frameworks.  Invasive species – often framed as ecological threats – are taken here not merely as biological phenomena, but as symbolic and political sites of struggle over belonging, ecological boundaries, cultural values and regimes of environmental governance. The book thus contributes to rethinking conservation strategies through inclusive, participatory and context-sensitive approaches. The book spans cases from both the Global South and Global North, bringing theory and practice into dialogue across regions and disciplines. By examining how different societies perceive, classify and respond to invasive species, the book reveals the epistemic tensions and power asymmetries embedded in contemporary biodiversity conservation policies. Bridging environmental social sciences, political ecology and decolonial thought, this volume offers a critical contribution to reimagining sustainability through the lenses of justice, plurality and interculturality.

Public awareness of the ethical and practical complexities of the effects of climate change on the non-human world is still emerging. It is an issue that will only become more urgent. While academic research continues to generate useful data, we need new ways of thinking about our relationship with the environment. We also need to include different types of knowledge in this debate that position the human as part of the changing environment and that can point to new ways of understanding our role in it.

This edited volume brings together researchers, practitioners and activists to explore the intersection between nature and culture, science and traditional knowledge, biodiversity and justice. It emphasizes socio-biodiversity as a concept that bridges biological and cultural diversity and calls for a rethinking of conservation and development models. With contributions from diverse regions and knowledge traditions, the volume engages key topics like invasive species, environmental migrations, agroecological transitions, legal frameworks for rights of nature and the role of education, participation and epistemological diversity in environmental governance. At its core, the book is about the clash and coexistence of different ways of knowing and relating to nature. It explores how local and indigenous knowledge systems, cultural narratives and historical experiences shape perceptions of species and ecological change. It provides a more comprehensive and multifaceted understanding of socio-biodiversity—the relationship between biological and cultural diversity—by integrating these viewpoints with ecological research and policy analysis.

Invasiveness and its social and cultural dimensions: Participation, power and politics brings a fresh and critical perspective complex and controversial challenges in contemporary environmental debates, including the question of invasive species. While dominant approaches tend to focus on their ecological impacts, this book takes a step back to ask deeper questions—about how these species are perceived, who gets to define them and what values and knowledge systems underpin those definitions. 

Structured around key themes such as knowledge co-production, cultural constructions of invasiveness, environmental governance and the emerging debate on the rights of nature and societies-natures-cultures relations, the book makes the case for conservation strategies that are not only ecologically effective but also socially just and context-sensitive.

As a genuinely interdisciplinary and global project, the book draws on case studies from both the Global South and Global North, moving fluidly between theoretical reflection and grounded empirical examples. In doing so, it opens space for dialogue between science, policy and the lived experiences of communities affected by socioecological change.

The book will appeal to readers in environmental studies, political ecology, social sciences, sustainability and related fields, as well as to practitioners and policymakers seeking more inclusive and culturally attuned approaches to ecological governance. Above all, it is a book for those who believe that addressing today’s socioecological crises requires not just better science, but deeper listening, broader participation and a willingness to rethink the terms of the debate.