<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; ">" Has he not heard about the “island effect” "</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; "><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; ">Holly,</span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1F497D" face="Calibri, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">Agreed, and more so! Lets forget man caused fragmentation for a moment.</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1F497D" face="Calibri, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1F497D" face="Calibri, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">To the lay person, an island is a piece of land in a sea of water. From a species perspective, an island is a moist mountain top in a sea of desert, or a spring in a sea of arid land. It is the isolation from other species that leads to speciation. And it is the human induced movement of species that breaks down the isolation. In the US there are so many invasives invading so many ecosystems that I doubt few smoking guns can be identified.</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1F497D" face="Calibri, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1F497D" face="Calibri, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">I guess it is a testament to our "success" bringing attention to the problems with invasives that there is a backlash. Here is Texas we have this industry sponsored gem:</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1F497D" face="Calibri, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1F497D" face="Calibri, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; "><a href="http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/billtext/html/HB00338I.htm">House Bill 338</a> would require a public entity, other than the department (Agriculture), that produces a list of noxious or invasive terrestrial plant species growing in this state shall provide with the list a disclaimer that states:<br><br><strong>“This plant list is only a recommendation and has no legal effect in the State of Texas. The Texas Department of Agriculture has sole authority to label terrestrial plants as noxious or invasive.” </strong><br><br>If passed, this disclaimer will be required on all printed material made for public distribution including newspaper, trade publication, notice, circular, or internet website.</span></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1F497D" face="Calibri, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; "><br></span></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1F497D" face="Calibri, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; "><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1F497D" face="Calibri, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">Best to all,</span></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1F497D" face="Calibri, sans-serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; ">john</span></font></div></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br></span></font></div></body></html>