Geovisualisation for effective management of invasive species: Bridging the knowing–doing gap

Invasive species are a major threat to protected areas, as they disrupt native ecosystems and contribute to biodiversity loss. Invasive species management is faced with a challenge known as the ‘knowing–doing gap’, which refers to the disconnect between scientific research and its application in conservation efforts. Addressing this challenge requires collaboration between stakeholders (including researchers, managers, policymakers and the public), creating a need for tools that can clearly communicate invasive species and strategies to diverse audiences. Realistic, immersive geographical visualisations (geovisualisations), have the potential to serve a role in bridging this gap. This study engages people with management- and place-based relationships in a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada in the use of a novel geovisualisation tool for supporting invasive species management efforts. Using focus group methods, the research collects insights and perspectives on the usefulness of the developed tool. The results indicate that geovisualisations have the potential to engage and educate stakeholders in management options; however, it is important for geovisualisations to maintain realism and account for the diverse backgrounds of users. The paper concludes with suggestions from study participants on how to improve geovisualisation tools in ways that increase their effectiveness and appeal to park and protected area stakeholders.