Management of invasive plants: technical limits and socio-technical innovations applied to the case of Ludwigia

Abstract

Ludwigia, originated from America, is an amphibian plant with great capacity of colonisation. It proliferates in wetlands. Despite its management in many places, the plant continues to develop. We wonder if the failure of actions against Ludwigia, and we show that technical efficiency is not the only factor to take into account for a good management but that the cultural and social ones are also very important. The example of management with the technique perceive as the most archaic, manual weeding, help us to demonstrate that the innovation process is a socio-technical one for an effective management of the problem.