[APWG] Altering is too kind, destroy not strong enough

[Chang, David]

Bob:

 

I concede that neutral language is more scientific and objective, but
did we catch you in a Freudian slip?  

Your statement, "Although this article is not good news," contradicts
your usual stance.  Are we, conservation and biodiversity freaks,
getting through to you?

 

A partial rebuttal to your argument below is that humans aren't the only
judges of ecosystems.  

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
[mailto:apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of Bob
Beyfuss
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 1:22 PM
To: Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company;
apwg at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: Re: [APWG] Altering is too kind, destroy not strong enough

 

Hi Craig and all,

Replaced is the correct term.

Destroying implies a value judgment that the invasive plants are "bad"
and 

the plants that they are replacing are "good". In science there are no 

"good" or "bad" plants as there are no "good" or "bad" ecosystems.
Nature 

lovers may not like or may not find attractive the ecosystems that
occur, 

for example, in a vacant lot in an inner city but that does not make
those 

ecosystems "bad'. There are particular ecosystems that humans want to 

protect for many reasons and that is fine but these are human value 

judgements. If a scientist studying any particular ecosystem did not
know 

ahead of time that it was dominated by invasive, exotic plants, it would
be 

impossible for he or she to determine if the plants present on site were


native or exotic based on the biology of the plants and their 

interactions.  Let me cite a real life example to make my point. A few 

weeks ago a client called me looking for information on how to eradicate


invasive, Asiatic bittersweet that she had found on her property.  I
asked 

her if she was certain that it was the Asiatic variety and not the
native 

bittersweet. She replied that she no idea how to distinguish them. I
asked 

her if it turned out that the bittersweet on her property were the
native 

variety, would she still want to eradicate it? Her answer was "of course


not". Her only criteria for wanting to eradicate the plant was the 

supposition that it was exotic. In my mind that is not a good reason to 

eradicate anything, especaill\y when there are no guarantees that the 

plants eradicated will not be replaced by something even less desirable.


When science is reduced  to name calling to provoke an emotional
response, 

it is not science.

Bob

 

 

 

At 03:13 PM 3/4/2008, Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company wrote:

>Dear All,

> 

>I am very surpised to read the discussions on the semantics, of what to

>call exotic plants and their impacts on local native ecosystems.

> 

>I can only speak from the California perspective, where 99% of the

>understory of our native ecosystems between 2 and 2,000 feet elevation,

>have been replaced by over 1,000 species of exotic plants.

> 

>What do you call that effect, using words that express such a complete

>extermination of native ecosystems, within only 150 years or less?

> 

>Ecosystem genocide?  Permanent native vegetation extinction, continuing

>through geologic time?

> 

>Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333

> 

> 

>_______________________________________________

>PCA's Alien Plant Working Group mailing list

>APWG at lists.plantconservation.org

>http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantcon
servation.org

> 

>Disclaimer

>Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the 

>opinion of the individual posting the message.

 

Bob Beyfuss wrote:

> Although this article is not good news, it is refreshing for me to see


> the term "altering" instead of "destroying" "devastating" and other 

> pejorative terms.

> 

 

 

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Disclaimer


Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the
opinion of the individual posting the message.

 

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