[APWG] Ecosystem history and its relevance to its restoration and alien species reduction Re: Try some petri-dish-like test plots with the weeds & natives

[Wayne Tyson]

Dear Craig and APWG:

Thanks to all for a most interesting thread--there's potential for weaving 
this into a beautiful piece of cloth--heaven knows the Emperor's need to be 
draped with something . . .

And special thanks to Craig for the early CA references. I continue to be 
amazed at Craig's boundless dedication, even if we might not always agree on 
every detail.

I am happy to see that Craig is endorsing the idea of planting natives 
amongst the weeds.

WT


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company" <Craig at astreet.com>
To: <apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 12:06 PM
Subject: [APWG] Try some petri-dish-like test plots with the weeds & natives


Dear Grace and All,

The solid weed patch along the river that you describe, is exactly what
the whole State of California has been, 800 miles north to south and 200
miles East to West, after all the native understory was grazed to the dust
during the two years of massive drought of the 1860s.

You can read about the catastrophic removal of the California natives
State-wide in Brewer's Journal from 1860-1864 at
http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/up_and_down_california/5-1.html

We have been faced with that solid-weed reality in California for over 100
years, having a need to eventually convert the wildlands, from the solid
weed-ocean-tsunami containing over 1,000 species of weeds, back to the
original native ecosystem understory.

Instead of trying to rip out all the weeds, maybe we can see what allies
we can get, to help with our efforts.

Perhaps, if we think like doctors, and we look at  the solid mass of weeds
covering a patch of land, like at a petri dish covered with a disease
bacteria.

Instead of pulling the weeds, perhaps we could reintroduce local natives
right into the middle of the weeds, and see how they contend with each
other.

Just like on the picture of the petri dish covered with yellow MRSA
bacteria at http://www.ecoseeds.com/mrsa.jpg , you can see at five and
eleven o'clock the bacteria getting killed, with the clear circles around
the two disks.

Planting the natives amongst the exotics, you can start to get an idea of
how the Exotic Weed Poker Game might turn out.  You can get familiar with
your strong native species,  that can permanently and successfully fight
the invasives.

Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333



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