Acacia exchanges: Wattles, thorn trees, and the study of plant movements

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Version: author
Serval ID
serval:BIB_4CFF80D5DC30
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Acacia exchanges: Wattles, thorn trees, and the study of plant movements
Journal
Geoforum
Author(s)
Kull Christian A., Rangan Haripriya
ISSN
0016-7185
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2008
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
39
Number
3
Pages
1258-1272
Language
english
Notes
kull_acacia_2008
Abstract
Plants are frequently moved around the world, creating new regional landscapes and environmental imaginaries. Building on previous work in environmental history and geography, we develop a three-part approach to analyzing plant movements and apply it to trees from the Acacia genus (sens. lat.) exchanged between Australia and the rest of the world. First, we investigate the agents, circuits, and frequencies of acacia movements, including transoceanic transfers, regional diffusion, and ecological dispersal. Second, we trace bundles of knowledge or technology that accompany the acacias, highlighting how they help shape regional biogeographies. Finally, we analyze how different societies, with distinct economies, politics, and environmental sensibilities, receive introduced plants. This approach allows us to see transferred plants as active agents in region-forming processes, and to avoid normative tropes like [`]miracle plants' or [`]alien invasives'. The highlighted species include Acacia colei, Acacia melanoxylon, Acacia mearnsii, Acacia farnesiana, Acacia nilotica, Acacia mangium, and their close relatives.
Keywords
acacia, Australia, Diffusion, Ecological imperialism, environmental history, Forestry, Indian Ocean region, Invasive species, Plant transfers, political ecology, Seed dispersal
Create date
11/03/2015 17:58
Last modification date
20/08/2019 15:01
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