[APWG] NEWS: Botanic gardens blamed for spreading plant invaders

[Scott Lenharth]

Wayne, here's a prime example of what you've mentioned:  Caucasian Bluestem
studied here in Missouri by the ag school (UMC):

http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G4674

For our purposes, there are several "red flags" in this write-up:  this
non-native grass "is easily established", "may be difficult to control with
herbicides", "no serious disease problems".  Note also how the comparison
with native grasses is framed as "Wildlife biologists prefer native...",
rather than acknowledging the underlying science of co-evolution and the
enormous interaction between native flora and fauna.  This is the problem
with assessing plant/animal introductions from a strictly agronomic
perspective.

A different Bothriochloa, "King Ranch Bluestem" (Bothriochloa ischaemum var.
songarica) was "studied" by the SCS and various universities from the
1950s.  In the last 10 years, having rapidly established in Texas and other
states, the research focus by these same entities is on control.  Having
proven to be invasive, of poor forage quality, and disastrous for wildlife,
a lot of folks now get to spend funding on undoing the work of their
predecessors at the same institutions.

Introductions will continue, in the search for the next great ornamental,
biofuel, forage, whatever.  And I expect we are quite close to seeing
genetically modified plants with all the exceptional abilities that will
make them "superweeds", from the ecosystem management perspective.




On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 7:03 PM, Wayne Tyson <landrest at cox.net> wrote:

> While plant and animal fanciers perhaps cannot be stopped, it would be
> interesting to know to what extent "the government" is responsible--and to
> what extent various agencies have truly given indigenous species a fair
> trial. For example, which species have been intentionally planted in huge
> quantities for "erosion control," "range improvement," and the like . . . I
> wonder what the International Erosion Control Association, for example, and
> other trade and professional organizations, not to mention universities and
> others proclaiming expertise, each has to say about their past and current
> policies and activities in this regard.
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