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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dear Megan:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The "ecological services of weeds" issue comes up
now and then, and it commonly begins and ends with confusion, or worse,
presumptions about "facts" that lead to "conclusions" that are rarely, if ever,
the whole story. So it is a challenge to answer your question responsibly.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>One can cherry-pick cases like one you cite with
respect to many "weed" species and come up with "answers" that spotlight a
"fact" that is as impressive as it is misleading. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Ecology" is about the <EM>whole</EM> story, not
just part of it, so the fact that the Southwest willow flycatcher, for example,
"uses" tamarisk, does not necessarily mean that the bird is better off as a
result of the tamarisk than it was before its original habitat was displaced by
the tamarisk. If, say, a group of humans lost their homes, they would gravitate
to the best alternative they could find, even if it was nothing but a bunch of
drain pipes or improvised lean-to shelters. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So the flycatchers may appear to be receiving
"ecological services" from tamarisk to us, but the "ecological question" is not
whether they have adapted to an altered habitat, but what that means in
comparison to the alternative of the habitat under which it evolved and
prospered. And it says nothing about how countless other species have been
affected by the change. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Some indigenous species have "prospered" because of
shifts toward alien "weeds." The mourning dove, for example, has "enjoyed" a
population explosion because of alien plant introductions, including "crops" and
"weeds." But this says nothing about the tradeoffs, the sacrifices that
other species have had to make to produce the population boom in dove
populations. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>While "weeds" do perform "ecological" functions as
a matter of "fact," whether or not one can truthfully term them "services" may
be another matter. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>WT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PS: I would be interesting to know where you're
going with this. </FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=BowesM@bouldercolorado.gov
href="mailto:BowesM@bouldercolorado.gov">Bowes, Megan</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=APWG@lists.plantconservation.org
href="mailto:'APWG@lists.plantconservation.org'">'APWG@lists.plantconservation.org'</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, April 26, 2010 2:14
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [APWG] ecological services of
weeds?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal>I'd like to inquire if anyone out there has experience with
the "ecological services of weeds". The Southwest willow flycatcher and
tamarisk is a classic example. We'd like to hear from researchers and
land managers alike, and would especially like any information about examples
with other taxonomic groups (herps, mammals, etc.). Thanks for any help
with this.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Megan
Bowes<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">City of
Boulder<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Open Space and Mountain Parks
Department<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">66 South Cherryvale
Road, Boulder, Colorado 80303<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">720.564.2084</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">
(voice) 720.564.2072 (fax)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><A
href="mailto:bowesm@bouldercolorado.gov"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">bowesm@bouldercolorado.gov</SPAN></A></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>PCA's Alien
Plant Working Group mailing
list<BR>APWG@lists.plantconservation.org<BR>http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org<BR><BR>Disclaimer<BR>Any
requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the opinion of
the individual posting the message.
<P>
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