[PCA] TV: David Mizejewski on the Today Show

[Bill Stringer]

At 09:48 PM 9/29/2004 Wednesday, Dan and Sarah Segal wrote:
>Sara,
>
>The whole idea that European settlers have basically damned the botanical 
>purity of North America is kind of a bummer at least, and also grossly 
>hyperbolic in my opinion.  Think of all the breathtaking natural places 
>you have visited, where our flora thrives.
>
>However, I consider myself a purist regarding issues of native plants, and 
>I also consider the population the most significant unit, moreso than the 
>species in some ways.  In other words, I am no apologist for those who try 
>to downplay the importance of the issues you are tackling.
>
>So, how do I reconcile those two seemingly divergent sensibilities?
>
>The definition of a native plant is simply one that has evolved in situ, 
>here.   Yes, someone could go semantically wild and consider even recent 
>adventive Eurasian weeds as having evolved in situ, since all species are 
>constantly adapting and evolving--so from the day they arrive they begin 
>to adapt, and continue to evolve.  One still might be tempted to put a 
>temporal minimum on the extent of evolution in situ to be counted as 
>native.  But evolution doesn't happen at equal rates for all species, so 
>again the real issue is the species' own history--where it spent its 
>formative years, so to speak.  But most of all, defining a 'native plant' 
>ecologically, rather than socially or culturally, is probably more 
>tangible, scientific, accurate, and useful.
>
>The other issue is whether or not it is naive to exclude our own actions 
>from what we call natural evolution.  Aren't we part of that?  Didn't we 
>evolve from something?

A lot of our plant decisions were made on sociological or other aesthetic 
basis, and thus may not be amenable to be included as natural or ecological 
forces.

>Some people will suggest that native Americans moving plants was natural, 
>but that movement of plants by Europeans was not.  I guess the idea is 
>that moving natives within the continent is ok, but from one continent to 
>another is not.  I might accept that, but I think the assumption being 
>made with the above goes deeper--that native Americans were holier, so 
>their movement of plants is more acceptable spiritually, regardless of 
>geography.

Native Americans moved a lot slower (years or decades is the time unit) 
rather than weeks or months for post Columbian arrivals.  So the plants 
that came with them 10000 to 20000 years ago were probably better able to 
nurture along their natural enemies.

>I do think we are part of evolution.  Our movement of species in the last 
>few hundred years, like all our other functions, seems to be happening at 
>a rate that is exponentially faster than before.   I think most people 
>would accept that as a rationale for why more recent movement of plant 
>species is not acceptable--that it is happening too much too fast, at 
>rates unprecedented in history.  But then again, if we're doing it, and 
>we're organisms, then you can't say it's happening outside the bounds of 
>evolution unless you are prepared to say that we are basically outside the 
>bounds of evolution.

>Natural evolution, where decisions are made on the basis of a 
>species'  genetic makeup and it's interaction with climatic and 
>environmental (ecological) forces.  We very commonly take heroic measures 
>to assure that our favorite plants survive (fertilization, pruning, 
>protection from animals, etc.  Not very natural, a distortion of natural 
>evolution.
>
>Either way, whatever one wants to conclude about people, I think taking an 
>ecological definition of native plants--that they evolve(d) 
>here--clarifies things more than taking a sociocultural approach.
>
>Good luck, thanks for putting it out there.
>
>
>Dan Segal
>Pinelands Nursery & Supply


Thanx

Bill Stringer

>
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William C. Stringer
Forage Agronomist &
Native Plant Enthusiast
Clemson University

Entomology, Soils and Plant Science
279 P&AS Bldg
PO Box 0315
Clemson, SC  29634

864 656 3527  Voice
864 656 3443  FAX 
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