[APWG] SCI AMER. needs many, many replies
Marc Imlay
ialm at erols.com
Tue Feb 1 13:39:12 CST 2011
Regarding, "The only place on the East Coast where I found an intact
understory was in Maryland at the US National Park only 15 miles from
Washington DC at Great Falls, Maryland.", I am so fortunate that I lead
invasive removals in such parks in Maryland. I found in preliminary surveys
that about one park in five qualifies this way and I chose those parks to
focus on to save the native ecosystems for the future. Cheers
Marc Imlay, PhD,
Conservation biologist, Park Ranger Office
(301) 442-5657 cell
<mailto:Marc.Imlay at pgparks.com> Marc.Imlay at pgparks.com
<mailto:Marc.Imlay at pgparks.com> <mailto:Marc.Imlay at pgparks.com>
ialm at erols.com
Natural and Historical Resources Division
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
www.pgparks.com
-----Original Message-----
From: apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
[mailto:apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of Craig Dremann
- Redwood City Seed Company
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2011 8:34 PM
To: apwg at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: [APWG] SCI AMER. needs many, many replies
Dear All,
Writing from the part of the planet that is the most completely covered
with over 1,000 species of exotic plants, and its understory between sea
level and 3,000 feet elevation covered 99.99% by those exotics, I think we
need to reply to that magazine about that perspective.
Regarding the SCI AMER. article that Exotics are overhyped, is like saying
that the Black Death in Europe has been overhyped.
When any exotic plant gets naturalized in North America, that means for
every square foot that the invader occupies, that is a square foot where
the indigenous native ecosystem is experiencing extinction.
After doing my 1997 2,000+ mile mile-by-mile megatransect at
http://www.ecoseeds.com/megatransect.html in the western States, the worst
exotics were the intentionally planted species like crested wheatgrass,
smooth brome, exotic clovers, either by highway departments or the Federal
government on BLM lands.
Even worse that the intentionally planted exotics, where the areas where
the native grass and forb understory was extinct, leaving vacancies for
new exotics in the future. I found that to be the case on the East Coast
in the forest understory, and when I did megatransects in the SE, like
from Atlanta to Huntsville Alalabam, for example.
The only place on the East Coast where I found an intact understory was in
Maryland at the US National Park only 15 miles from Washington DC at Great
Falls, Maryland.
I would really hate to see our North American ecosystems only existing
100-200 years from now, only in the National Parks, like zoo specimens,
and we do not take action right now regarding these exotic invaders, and
protect the remaining examples of pristine native ecosystems that do not
have protection in the next decade.
Sincerely, Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333
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