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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I subscribe to Scientific American and was very dismayed to see
that article. It takes a highly anthropogenic view of invasive species,
contending that we should only worry about them if they cause harm to the economy
or health and learn to live with most everything else. He acknowledges
that some species have proven ecologically harmful, but downplays it, focusing
instead on the supposed exaggeration of environmental impacts. Scientific
American is very widely read. I would hope that someone with more impressive
credentials than myself would take him to task for this article in a letter to
the editor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
apwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org
[mailto:apwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Marc
Imlay<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, January 27, 2011 5:02 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> apwg@lists.plantconservation.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [APWG] Exotics species overhyped, according to Feb.2011 SCI
AMER article<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Regarding “</span></b><b><span
lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>the exotic plant is considered
a critical habitat for endangered bird species, such as the <a
href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=biologists-arent-keeping-track-of-e-2009-05-27"
title="http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=biologists-arent-keeping-track-of-e-2009-05-27"><span
style='color:windowtext'>southwestern willow flycatcher</span></a> that nests
in its branches.” so was the </span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>native
cottonwood and willow trees replaced by the salt cedar critical habitat for the
bird (There was only one listed endangered bird species, not several as
implied). We have to replace the salt cedar that we remove with the
original natives. In this case one of the benefits of the native ecosystem was
retained by the exotic ecosystem but other benefits were lost. The biological control
can be released where the endangered bird is not present but only mechanical
and herbicidal control should be used where the endangered bird is surviving,
and only gradually while the native trees grow up and support the endangered
bird. The same phenomena occurred in Hawaii when the birds that
endangered plants depended upon became extinct (because of us). It became
necessary to retain non-native birds that the endangered plants need. We chose
a less invasive species of bird to retain that worked for the plants. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;
line-height:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Regarding
</span></b><b><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“There
have been thousands of nonnative species introduced in the United States,"
he says, "and they have not caused one native species to go
extinct.", Davis is incorrect. While it is true that invasive plant
species alone on the mainland have caused few extinctions the same can be said
for other causes. It is the cumulative impact that generally causes extinction.
Examination of endangered and extinct species has shown that replacement by
monocultures occurs over a significant portion of the ranges of about 40% of
endangered species. For example, in a paper by Sam Fuller and
myself, we did a field survey of the endangered mussel, Elliptio waccamawensis,
in North Carolina We found that the invasive Asiatic clam, Corbicula </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";letter-spacing:-.15pt'>manilensis</span></b><b><span
lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>, replaced the native mussels
which we found dead on the banks but only where the creeks were disturbed by
the Army Corps of Engineers. Where the Asiatic clam had not yet reached the
disturbed habitat the mussels survived. The Asiatic Clam was present, but in a
much lower density, in pristine unpolluted habitat and the mussels also
survived. </span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Fuller,
S. L. H. and M. J. Imlay. 1976. Spatial competition between Corbicula <br>
manilensis (Philippi), the Chinese clam (Corbiculidae), and the freshwater <span
style='letter-spacing:-.15pt'>mussels (Unionidae) in the Waccamaw River basin
of the Carolinas (Mollusca: Bivalvia). Association of Southeastern Biologists,
Bulletin 23(2):60. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;
line-height:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
letter-spacing:-.15pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;
line-height:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
letter-spacing:-.15pt'>[Abstract]<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;
line-height:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
letter-spacing:-.15pt'>
Dead mussel shells and abundant living Corbicula manilensis (Philippi, 1841)
were found below the confluence of the Waccamaw River with the intracoastal
Waterway (Horry County, South Carolina), where the river is profoundly
disturbed by human activities. Above this confluence, where the river is, in
general, little disturbed, mussels were found increasingly dominant over C.
manilensis, as samples were taken further upstream, until the latter
disappeared. C. manilensis reappeared in Lake Waccamaw (Columbus County, North
Carolina), but mussels persisted in apparently diminished numbers. The lake is
almost encircled by extant and potential land development, but its floor
remains negligibly damaged. It appears that C. manilensis does not (and perhaps
cannot) dominate indigenous bivalves in nearly or quite natural habitats, at
least in slowly moving, soft bottom Coastal Plain streams of the Atlantic
drainage. Corollarily, not to disturb aquatic habitats may be man's best
defense against domination of the benthos by C. manilensis. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Cheers.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>Marc
Imlay, PhD,</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>Conservation
biologist, Park Ranger Office</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>(301)
442-5657 cell</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'><a
href="mailto:Marc.Imlay@pgparks.com" title="mailto:Marc.Imlay@pgparks.com"><span
style='color:navy'>Marc.Imlay@pgparks.com</span></a> <a
href="mailto:ialm@erols.com" title="mailto:ialm@erols.com">ialm@erols.com</a></span></b><span
style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>Natural
and Historical Resources Division</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>The Maryland-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission</span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'><a
href="http://www.pgparks.com" title="http://www.pgparks.com">www.pgparks.com</a></span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:30.0pt'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span></b><b><span
lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Alien Invasion? An Ecologist
Doubts the Impact of <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:30.0pt'><b><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Exotic
Species<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.25pt;
margin-left:0in;line-height:18.0pt' id=articleDek><b><span lang=EN
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Many conservationists have dedicated
their lives to eradicating invasive plant and animal species, but Mark Davis
wants them to reassess their missions<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=articleinfo1><span class=byline1><b><span lang=EN>By <a
href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/author.cfm?id=1575"
title="http://www.scientificamerican.com/author.cfm?id=1575"><span
style='color:windowtext'>Brendan Borrell</span></a> </span></b></span><b><span
lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> | <span
class=datestamp3>August 14, 2009 |</span> <a
href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=alien-invasion-ecologist-doubts-exotic&page=2#comments#comments"
title="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=alien-invasion-ecologist-doubts-exotic&page=2#comments#comments
comments on this article"><span
style='color:windowtext'>43</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:18.75pt;
line-height:18.0pt'><b><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
As Chew and his co-authors point out in the March issue of <a
href="http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122240688/abstract"
title="http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122240688/abstract"><em><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext;font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none'>Restoration Ecology</span></em></a>, salt cedar was just
a scapegoat in the <a
href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=water"
title="http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=water"><span
style='color:windowtext'>water</span></a> wars that have gripped the Southwest.
Today, many early claims have been refuted and the exotic plant is considered a
critical habitat for endangered bird species, such as the <a
href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=biologists-arent-keeping-track-of-e-2009-05-27"
title="http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=biologists-arent-keeping-track-of-e-2009-05-27"><span
style='color:windowtext'>southwestern willow flycatcher</span></a> that nests
in its branches.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:18.75pt;
line-height:18.0pt'><b><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In
his book Davis picks apart the claim that invasive species are the
second-leading cause of extinctions. He traces that meme back to a 1998 paper
by Princeton ecologist <a
href="http://www.princeton.edu/step/people/faculty/david-wilcove/"
title="http://www.princeton.edu/step/people/faculty/david-wilcove/"><span
style='color:windowtext'>David Wilcove</span></a> and colleagues in the journal
<em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-style:normal'>Bioscience</span></em>,
which he derides for being based on the "opinions" of field
researchers. Moreover, most species said to be imperiled by invaders were
located in Hawaii and on other islands, not the mainland U.S., where he is
skeptical that alien species can gain a foothold. "There have been
thousands of nonnative species introduced in the United States," he says,
"and they have not caused one native species to go extinct."<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:18.75pt;
line-height:18.0pt'><b><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
</span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>-----Original
Message-----<br>
From: apwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org
[mailto:apwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of Craig Dremann -
Redwood City Seed Company<br>
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 8:32 PM<br>
To: apwg@lists.plantconservation.org<br>
Subject: [APWG] Exotics species</span></b> <b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>overhyped,according
to Feb.2011 SCI AMER article</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Dear
All,<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>February
2011 Scientific American article, page 74-77 "A Friend to Aliens,<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>by
Brendan Borrell, an interview with Mark Davis of Macalester College in<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>St.
Paul MN.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Sincerely,
Craig Dremann<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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