[APWG] SCI AMER. needs many, many replies

[Marc Imlay]

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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