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Figure 3
Figure 3: Research on target knowledge helps to clarify the valuation of the impacts of invasive species and their management. On tropical oceanic islands, Coconut palms (Cocos nucifera) are an important element of the landscape aesthetics of beaches for tourists (picture above) and a valuable source of food and building material for local people. However, in Seychelles, Coconut palms are considered to be invasive by nature conservationists. Native lowland vegetation, which is a critical habitat for endangered endemic birds, only recovers after the removal of these palms (picture below, Seychelles Magpie Robin Copsychus sechellarum on Aride Island). The valuation of the Coconut palm is further complicated because on many oceanic islands it is not known if the species is native or alien (Photos by Eva Schumacher).