[APWG] Ecosystem management and restoration planning Plants Alien species component Re: NEWS: Removing species from sub-Antarctic island 'causeddisaster'

[Wayne Tyson]

APWG:

While we don't usually think of predator-prey relationships with plants, there can be situations where alien plant removal procedures are detrimental to ecosystem health. And the lesson here of understanding interspecies connections and making predictions that are testable as theory, then test plots, then useful procedures, beats the "find 'em, whack 'em, and forget 'em" approach that is far too widely used (sometimes with good results,* but too often with negative or neutral results). While consideration of the whole ecosystem context may take more time, it can minimize error, expense, and wasted or counterproductive effort. 

WT

*Ecosystems are resilient--that is, "forgiving." But correlations are not always reflective of causation, and a shift in context can mean success in one case, failure in another. 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Olivia Kwong" <plant at plantconservation.org>
To: <apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 7:33 AM
Subject: [APWG] NEWS: Removing species from sub-Antarctic island 'causeddisaster'


> About animal species, but it did affect plants on the island.
> 
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090112/sc_afp/environmentbiodiversityinvasiveaustralia_newsmlmmd
> 
> Removing species from sub-Antarctic island 'caused disaster'
> Mon Jan 12, 12:34 pm ET
> 
> PARIS (AFP) -- Efforts to remove an invasive species from a sub-Antarctic 
> island that has been named a World Heritage site accidentally triggered an 
> environmental catastrophe, a study to be published on Tuesday says.
> 
> The eradication programme on Macquarie Island, lying halfway between 
> Australia and Antarctica, is a cautionary tale about the complex web of 
> ecosystems, its authors say.
> 
> See the link above for the full article text.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> PCA's Alien Plant Working Group mailing list
> APWG at lists.plantconservation.org
> http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org
> 
> Disclaimer
> Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the opinion of the individual posting the message.


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