The transportation and translocation of species beyond their natural habitats is considered to be one of the major causes of biodiversity loss these days. Concerns are growing also about urbanization and the resulting destruction of natural habitats. At the same time, the integration of urban environments into nature protection efforts has brought along the intent to apply the ecological alien species paradigm in cities. Yet, as the practices of urban landscaping demonstrate, this objective has not been achieved. In this article, we propose that the reasons behind it are largely related to the specifics of the city as a semiotic system. Multiplicity of codes and subjects of various origins is contested by the ecological alien species paradigm, yet characteristic of the urban semiotic environment. The city often serves the function of a cultural model, embodying the principles of setting the borders between Self and the Other. Also in this case, the ecological alien species paradigm has to face a different complex of meanings attributed to the Other. We demonstrate how two different models of the city are expressed in the interpretations of alien trees by using pyramid oaks and poplars in Estonia as an example.

中文翻译：

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树木的城市生态符号学：为什么生态外来物种范式在城市尚未普及？

如今，物种在自然栖息地之外的运输和转运被认为是造成生物多样性丧失的主要原因之一。人们对城市化及其对自然栖息地的破坏也越来越引起人们的关注。同时，将城市环境纳入自然保护工作已带来了在城市中应用生态外来物种范例的意图。然而，正如城市园林绿化实践所表明的那样，这一目标尚未实现。在本文中，我们建议其背后的原因在很大程度上与城市作为符号系统的特点有关。生态外来物种范式对各种起源于人类的代码和主题的多样性提出了质疑，而范式却是城市符号环境的特征。这座城市通常起着文化模型的作用，体现了在“自我”与“他人”之间建立界限的原则。同样在这种情况下，生态外来物种范式也必须面对归因于他者的意义的不同复合体。我们以爱沙尼亚的金字塔橡树和白杨树为例，演示了如何在外来树木的解释中表达两种不同的城市模型。