[MPWG] Invasives: terms & definitions

[Center for Sustainable Resources]

Are you the judge of these plants, these lands? Can you give us a break down 
of when each one was granted their paticular designation? Are the Allien 
plants ones that come from another planet?
What plants have you succeeded in ridding the planet of?
It would be nice if things were so tidy that people did not have to think 
and make decisions but that is not the way it is. Nature is more complex 
than this. Fred Hays


>From: Plant Conservation <plant at plantconservation.org>
>To: <mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
>Subject: [MPWG] Invasives: terms & definitions
>Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:20:37 -0500 (CDT)
>
>Hi everyone,
>
>In light of Patricia's recent question of the month post and subsequent
>replies, I think it is important to carefully define the terms that we use
>so that everyone can have a fruitful discussion using the same language.
>
>As the Medicinal Plant Working Group is part of the Plant Conservation
>Alliance, I suggest that we use the definitions used by the Alien Plant
>Working Group (also part of PCA).  The following terms/definitions are
>taken from the "What the heck is an invasive plant?" brochure which can be
>viewed in its entirety at http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/whatis.pdf.
>
>Native or Indigenous Species: One that occurs in a particular place
>without the help of humans.  As this is not always easy to determine,
>species native to North America are generally recognized as thos occuring
>on the continent prior to European settlement.
>
>Exotic Species (alien, foreign, non-indigenous, non-native): An organism
>is considered exotic when it has been introduced by humans to a
>location(s) outside its native or natural range.  This designation applies
>to a species introduced from another continent, another ecosystem, and
>even another habitat within an ecosystem.
>
>Invasive Species: A species that displays rapid growth and spread,
>establishes over large areas, and persists.  Invasiveness is characterized
>by robust vegetative growth, high reproductive rate, abundant seed
>production, high seed germination rate, and longevity.  Some native plants
>exhibit invasive tendencies in certain situations.
>
>Please note that nowhere in those definitions is it said that all exotic
>species are invasive species.  I would appreciate it if everyone would
>read the whole brochure (it's not very long) so we can have a good
>discussion without confusion over the basic terms.
>
>Olivia
>SER/PCA
>http://www.nps.gov/plants
>plant at plantconservation.org
>
>
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