Pour une autre représentation métaphorique des invasions biologiques

Abstract

Biological invasions are hybrid "objects" that blend nature and culture. They may be considered as a construct, i.e. a term which has come to be used to describe the spread of alien plants and animals. This construct incorporates actual changes in biophysical nature as well as changes in human ideas about nature. Discourses on biological invasions are particularly rich in fear-mongering metaphors. Such metaphors occur because they serve as powerful discursive signals to convey a message to the public about the threats of invasive species to native biodiversity, landscape aesthetics, and economic productivity. We review four main categories of metaphors in discourses on biological invasions: military, health and disease prevention, nationalistic reflexes, and the cultural foundations of our societies. Metaphors help to convey messages and to build a clear, consistent discourse on a particular topic. But they can also aggravate misunderstandings, make science appear less credible and convert biological invasions into global abstractions that are no longer considered in their local, immediate context. We propose alternative, more positive metaphors to supplement the currently dominant negative ones. These include, for example, multiculturalism, peaceful co-existence, and even biodiversity. We need a greater pluralism of metaphors to talk about invasive species in order to get a non-restrictive vision of changing ecosystems. © NSS-Dialogues, EDP Sciences 2013.