The increasing destruction of natural environments worldwide favored more and more alien species’ dispersal, distancing people from nature and consequently from native species. We investigated undergrad students’ perception about alien and native Brazilian species evaluating classes of the first (freshmen) and last semesters (seniors) of four courses in environmental sciences in three institutions and assessed these students’ knowledge level in different aspects related to native and alien species. The 509 interviewees were able to identify Brazilian native species better than alien species. They also produced better identifications among taxonomic groups of mammals (either alien or native), native birds, and exotic fish compared to invertebrate species. Most students did not consider themselves well informed about the topic. We found an association between the courses/semesters attended and the level of knowledge of the students. Thus, we concluded that, on the one hand, the students demonstrated relevant knowledge about the native species but, on the other, presented deficiencies in invasive alien species’ knowledge. Therefore, we suggest the revision/restructuring of how the biological invasions theme is covered in the academic curricula of undergraduate courses in the environmental area.

Biodiversity, biological invasion, conservation, environmental education

The increasing globalization associated with people and goods’ increased flow has intensified the transport and dissemination of animal species, plants, and microorganisms throughout the planet (Pyšek and Richardson 2010). Therefore, human activities brought many species around us from other regions; these species are called aliens (Richardson et al. 2000). Most of the transported exotic species cannot disperse in the new environment and, therefore, do not cause environmental impacts (Richardson et al. 2000). However, with adequate environmental conditions, such as available resources, lack of competitors, predators, or parasites, they can reproduce and expand their distribution, causing severe damage to the ecosystem and the economy of the invaded regions, being thus considered invasive species (Richardson et al. 2000; Pimentel et al. 2001, 2005; Crowl et al. 2008; Blackburn et al. 2011; Bellard et al. 2016; Doherty et al. 2016; Pyšek et al. 2020).

Invasive alien species (IAS hereafter) may cause reductions in native populations, local extinctions, regional, or even global, changes in ecological interactions, productivity modification, nutrient cycling, and habitat structure (Simberloff 2005; Pejchar and Mooney 2009; Blackburn et al. 2019). Therefore, IAS can affect the survival of native species, decreasing their species richness and abundance (Blackburn et al. 2014). These species can also harm various ecosystem services, such as the production of food, water, wood, medicinal plants, climate stability, flood control, disease spread, soil fertility, pollination, and seed dispersal (Pejchar and Mooney 2009). Therefore, the increase in biological invasions may end up homogenizing the planet’s biological diversity, making terrestrial ecosystems increasingly poorer in species (McNeely et al. 2001; Hautier et al. 2018).

However, the impacts caused by IAS go beyond environmental issues, as these species also cause economic losses and may cause other problems to Humanity (e.g., health problems; Pejchar and Mooney 2009; Bellard et al. 2016). A survey conducted in the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, India, and Brazil estimates that economic losses caused by invasive species related to agriculture, forestry, and other segments of the economy, exceed $ 336 billion per year (Pimentel et al. 2001, 2005). In addition to generating high costs, the control and management of alien species after the introduction is too complex (Mack et al. 2000; Pimentel et al. 2005; Bradshaw et al. 2016; Novoa et al. 2018). Therefore, prevention is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to combat IAS, and public education is an essential element in prevention programs (Wittenberg and Cock 2001). Through information, dialogue, and reflection on the problem of biological invasions (Novoa et al. 2017; Shackleton et al. 2019), humans may mitigate the damage caused by these species, helping to prevent further invasions and control the alien species already present in the environment (Reis et al. 2013; Shackleton et al. 2019).

It is vital to intensify the accomplishment of programs and activities that awaken people’s interest and appreciation for native species (Lindemann-Matthies 2005). In megadiverse countries, such as Brazil, it is essential to prioritize knowledge about native biodiversity and increase the protection and valorization of these species (Proença et al. 2014). Previous studies have indicated that, in general, there is little knowledge among the population about native biodiversity, especially when compared to knowledge about lien species (Bizerril and Andrade 1999; Lindemann-Matthies and Bose 2008; Genovart et al. 2013; Amaral et al. 2017).

Environmental education (EE from now on) is a fundamental tool to change the trend of increasing biodiversity degradation (Jacobi 2003) because it contributes to developing students’ knowledge and attitudes towards biodiversity (Sousa et al. 2016; Verbrugge et al. 2021). EE in schools and universities helps prepare new generations of citizens to have more active and critical attitudes towards nature conservation and environmental problems (Reis et al. 2013). In this sense, the environmental perception survey helps clarify how people perceive and relate to the environment and their expectations and behaviors (Rebouças et al. 2015; Verbrugge et al. 2021). Subsequently, the research can contribute by proposing improvements for the construction of methodologies that stimulate people’s awareness and awareness of environmental problems (Palma 2005; Novoa et al. 2018).

Thus, this work aims to evaluate undergraduate students’ perceptions of native and invasive exotic fauna in the country in courses related to environmental sciences from three higher education institutions in Goiás, Brazil. Specifically, we seek to answer the following questions: 1) Are alien species more recognized than native Brazilian species? 2) Do students know how to differentiate the place of origin of the species? 3) Do students learn more about mammals and exotic fauna than other taxonomic groups and native fauna? 4) Is there a difference in students’ knowledge among those studying Biological Sciences, Ecology, Veterinary Medicine, and Agronomy courses? 5) Do senior students have a greater understanding of alien and native species’ fauna than first-semester freshmen students? 6) Do students learn more about the subject in college than in high school? 7) Is there an association between the courses/semesters and the knowledge level of the students?

University students performed better when identifying, conceptualizing, and exemplifying native Brazilian species compared to IAS. We found that the best identified taxonomic groups were native birds, mammals (alien and native), and alien fish, while the least identified were the native fish, alien reptiles/amphibians, and invertebrates (alien and native). The students’ performance was similar among the different higher education courses and comparing the freshmen and the senior students of each course. Most students stated that they did not learn about IAS in high school but higher education. However, academics do not consider themselves well informed on the topic, as they classified their knowledge on various aspects as fair or poor. We found an association between the courses/semesters and the classification of the students’ level of expertise in different aspects related to IAS and native species. Most classes performed well on some aspects of the theme. However, the freshmen students of all courses we evaluated and the Veterinary Medicine course’s senior students did not stand out positively in any aspect.

Students’ good performance about native species shows that the research’s target audience has adequate knowledge about Brazilian native species. Therefore, we observed a coherent result since it is expected that academic students in the environmental area will have the ability and competence to identify native species. The ability to recognize native species demonstrates the approach and involvement of students with the environment and the appreciation of local biodiversity and that the content related to native biodiversity is probably being addressed effectively by the researched institutions. This result is positive, as it expands the knowledge about the local environment and improves interactions between people and the environment, so knowing biodiversity is the first step in developing its preservation (Dal-Farra et al. 2011).

However, the students did not present similar results concerning alien species, although it is relevant that university students in the environmental area have a broad understanding of these species and the environmental, economic, and social impacts. These future professionals must identify, mitigate, and solve biological invasions problems (Smith et al. 2011; Oxley et al. 2016). The inability to identify and differentiate between alien, non-invasive, and native species can hinder the success of IAS prevention and control techniques (Somaweera et al. 2010).

The low perception of students concerning invasive species can be explained by the syndrome of base change, in which the absence of information or experiences about the previous conditions of the environment leads the current population to accept the present situation as being “normal” or “natural” (Pauly 2004; Miller 2005; Soga and Gaston 2017). In this way, due to the short-term view on biodiversity, new generations do not perceive biological invasions and the progressive disappearance of species (Clavero 2014). This phenomenon is recognized as one of the main obstacles to addressing numerous current environmental problems (Soga and Gaston 2017). In this sense, universities face the challenge of developing up-to-date training with society’s growing problems and training professionals prepared to deal with such problems (Bilert et al. 2014).

We found that university students massively stated that they had not learned about IAS during high school, as already noted by Melo et al. (2021) for high school students, thus reinforcing the existence of deficiencies in developing the theme at this stage of teaching. These results are similar to what was found by Oxley et al. (2016), whose work shows that respondents who attended only high school had less knowledge about invasive species than respondents with higher education. In this way, we realized that IAS’s information should be formally inserted in both primary and secundary educations, mainly through environmental education programs and projects, to stimulate the students’ environmental responsibility (Azevedo-Santos et al. 2015). Therefore, we perceive the need for greater emphasis when addressing the topic of biological invasion so that it is not worked only as a topic within the Biology content. The biological invasion must be handled as a theme to be worked on in a transversal way in high school, exploring all the theme’s complexity and scope. For instance, both high-school teachers and university professors should take more time to actively introduce such topics to the students in classes and lectures. Specific disciplines for undergraduate students should be taught in their institutions, elucidating to them what are invasive exotic species and how they may be controlled/managed. Also, technical visitation and/or lectures from experts involved with the control of invasive species would be of great importance so that the students would learn from the practice itself, with professionals involved with this kind of research. Finally, it is also important that books and teaching materials address biological invasions at different education levels, with contextualized, continuous, and in-depth development (Azevedo-Santos et al. 2015).

The IAS instruction appears to be more effective in higher education than in high school since most students claimed to have learned about invasive species during undergraduate courses. Thus, we found that higher education can positively influence academics’ knowledge and attitudes concerning IAS (Waliczek et al. 2018). Although university students have more access to learning about the topic, this knowledge seems insufficient since most students do not consider themselves well informed about the subject, indicating shortcomings and flaws in the students’ knowledge about IAS. Knowledge deficiency related to IAS was also observed by Smith et al. (2011), using a review of the curricula of several undergraduate and graduate courses in Canadian universities.

The use of alternative techniques and methodologies, such as lectures, practical classes, and case studies, can effectively improve teaching and learning and, consequently, reverse these deficiencies. Fox and Loope (2007) and Waliczek et al. (2018) investigated the use of simple pedagogical techniques and methodologies, such as case studies, and found a significant increase in knowledge about invasive species, mainly by contextualizing the theme with the students’ daily lives. In this way, developing well-planned curricular activities and targeting specific audiences allow better education results on IAS (Vanderhoeven et al. 2011). Therefore, teaching and learning must go beyond traditional disciplinary education, so knowledge on invasive species needs to be treated in a multiple and contextualized way since environmental problems involve and relate to numerous aspects of society (Smith et al. 2011).

Each surveyed course stood out concerning the following aspects of knowledge about IAS: senior students of Biological Sciences assessed their knowledge as best in general aspects about IAS and the IAS in the Cerrado. The senior Ecology evaluated their knowledge as better regarding the general aspects of IAS. The senior students of Agronomy considered their knowledge better regarding the techniques on prevention and control of IAS. Senior students of Veterinary Medicine did not rate their knowledge positively in any aspects related to IAS. In this way, we noticed gaps in the interviewees’ knowledge concerning IAS’s several aspects in all the surveyed courses, especially in the Veterinary Medicine course. Therefore, we understand that it is necessary to rethink how biological invasion has been addressed in the curricula, including specific disciplines and research programs related to biological invasions in academic curricula, mainly in courses related to the environmental sciences (Azevedo-Santos et al. 2015). Besides, it is crucial to develop interdisciplinary programs that powerfully address IAS issues (Smith et al. 2011; Hautier et al. 2018). Therefore, it is essential to apply more environmental and scientific education programs to raise awareness and public interest about the importance of native biodiversity and environmental problems (Lindemann-Matthies and Bose 2008; Novoa et al. 2018).

Our study’s results show that the knowledge of undergraduate students in interviewees about invasive alien species is low. Therefore, it is a consequence of the lack of information about alien species. We observed deficiencies in the development of the theme, which suggests to us that there is a severe need to review how the theme of biological invasions has been inserted and worked into the academic curricula of courses related to the environmental area. We also suggest using new teaching strategies so teachers and professors teach the invasion ecology topic better and students can learn more about IAS. By doing this, the target audiences will act directly in the prevention and control of biological invasions and, consequently, minimize the impacts caused to biodiversity, health, and economy caused by invasive species.

We thank João Carlos Nabout, Solange Xavier, Paulo De Marco Júnior, Mirley Santos, and two reviewers for suggesting changes that improved previous versions of this manuscript. We thank the students, coordinators, and professors of the Universities for participating in our research. EPCM thanks the State University of Goiás for the Stricto Sensu graduate scholarship and the student mobility assistance provided by the UEG/CAPES contract No. 817164/2015. This study was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel – Brazil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001 (Agreement No. 817164/2015 CAPES/PROAP). DPS and RPB received a productivity grant from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – CNPq (process numbers: 304494/2019-4 and 309894/2017-4, respectively).