[APWG] Exotics species overhyped, according to Feb.2011 SCI AMER article
John Barr
jmbarr at academicplanet.com
Tue Feb 1 12:52:50 CST 2011
" Has he not heard about the “island effect” "
Holly,
Agreed, and more so! Lets forget man caused fragmentation for a moment.
To the lay person, an island is a piece of land in a sea of water.
From a species perspective, an island is a moist mountain top in a
sea of desert, or a spring in a sea of arid land. It is the isolation
from other species that leads to speciation. And it is the human
induced movement of species that breaks down the isolation. In the US
there are so many invasives invading so many ecosystems that I doubt
few smoking guns can be identified.
I guess it is a testament to our "success" bringing attention to the
problems with invasives that there is a backlash. Here is Texas we
have this industry sponsored gem:
House Bill 338 would require a public entity, other than the
department (Agriculture), that produces a list of noxious or invasive
terrestrial plant species growing in this state shall provide with the
list a disclaimer that states:
“This plant list is only a recommendation and has no legal effect in
the State of Texas. The Texas Department of Agriculture has sole
authority to label terrestrial plants as noxious or invasive.”
If passed, this disclaimer will be required on all printed material
made for public distribution including newspaper, trade publication,
notice, circular, or internet website.
Best to all,
john
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