Why Knot For Otters: Integrating Riparian Invasive Species Management And Ecological Restoration
This project takes the discovery of otters using the invasive species Japanese knotweed as cover in the River Don in Sheffield as a starting point for understanding the dynamic entanglement of organisms as they evolve in response to human activity and environmental change, and explores the ways in which landscape design can create links between invasive species management and ecological restoration.
The project considers that landscapes should be concerned with ‘process’ and ‘relationship’, providing adaptive spaces for both human and non-human communities. It proposes a framework for long-term landscape evolution that is open, variable and requires continuous observation and adjustment. In the project, Japanese knotweed, in the form of existing but restricted dispersal, is used as part of the ecological restoration to assist otters in their riparian movements. The design also considers other stakeholders in the site, ultimately following current government guidance on the treatment of Japanese knotweed, which is envisaged to eventually be buried as “mounds”.
