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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=719005315-15102007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Thank you. Sweeping
generalizations WILL rush us to knee-jerk solutions which will
have other consequences.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=719005315-15102007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Climate change will require interdisciplinary and
thoughtful solutions, </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=719005315-15102007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>knowing that the vegetation changes caused by climate
change will not fit our previous understanding of plant dynamics.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=719005315-15102007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Only change is certain at this point. We are
pioneering, once again, on earth.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=719005315-15102007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=719005315-15102007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Bonnie</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B>
native-plants-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org
[mailto:native-plants-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org] <B>On Behalf Of
</B>Patricia_DeAngelis@fws.gov<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, October 15, 2007 10:29
AM<BR><B>To:</B> apwg@lists.plantconservation.org;
native-plants@lists.plantconservation.org;
rwg@lists.plantconservation.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [PCA] FIRE 07 Climate
change Re: NEWS: Climate change likely to increase fires<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV><BR><FONT size=3>It's great to see this issue getting more press.
But, I also see where Wayne is coming from.</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT
size=3>The article below mentions two conditions that will contribute to the
proliferation of invasives in response to global climate change:</FONT>
<UL>
<LI><FONT size=3>fires deposit nutrients into the soil that encourage the
growth of cheatgrass </FONT>
<LI><FONT size=3>increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, typically associated
with climate changes, encourages the growth of tough cheatgrass
</FONT></LI></UL><BR><FONT size=3>I just attended a conference two weeks ago on
global climate change and the effect on local flora in the Appalachians of
Maryland and West Virginia. One of the speakers mentioned that recent
research was suggesting that invasives would take off with global climate change
- that the hotter, drier conditions will favor them. He pointed out that
this is not necessarily true. <I>Microstegium </I>(Japanese stiltgrass),
for instance, which is plaguing the Appalachians is not good at getting into the
drier sites. </FONT> <BR><BR><FONT size=3>So, although I am pleased at the
increased attention to this issue, I think Wayne's point is well taken. As
plant scientists, it's important for us to resist the urge to put specific
situations into a general "Inbox." Different species will react
differently in different environments. It's our job to explore the
possibilities and to help others understand them without making sweeping
generalizations.</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Patricia S. De
Angelis, Ph.D.<BR>Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority<BR>Chair - Plant
Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group<BR>US Fish & Wildlife
Service<BR>4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 110<BR>Arlington, VA
22203<BR>703-358-1708 x1753<BR>FAX: 703-358-2276<BR>Working for the
conservation and sustainable use of our green natural
resources.<BR><www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal><BR></FONT><BR><BR><BR>
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<TD width="40%"><FONT face=sans-serif size=1><B>Wayne Tyson
<landrest@cox.net></B> </FONT><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>Sent
by: rwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org</FONT>
<P><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>10/12/2007 11:02 PM</FONT> </P>
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<DIV align=right><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>To</FONT></DIV>
<TD><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>Olivia Kwong
<plant@plantconservation.org>,
native-plants@lists.plantconservation.org,
apwg@lists.plantconservation.org,
rwg@lists.plantconservation.org</FONT>
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<TD>
<DIV align=right><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>cc</FONT></DIV>
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<TD>
<DIV align=right><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>Subject</FONT></DIV>
<TD><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>[RWG] FIRE 07 Climate change Re:
NEWS: Climate change likely to increase
fires</FONT></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR>
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size=3>Invasive plants like the Sahara mustard are quite likely to be a factor
in wildfires, as they fill spaces between widely-scattered shrubs, and climate
change will no doubt affect fire behavior, but I yearn for more evidence and
less opinion and conjecture regarding such sweeping conclusions. It makes
for good press, but what is needed is good research and solid data. Fires
have, and will continue to be, a factor in Great Basin ecosystems, but the real
question is what precisely is the connection between the data and the
conclusions, and what is the <I>marginal </I>difference. Sensationalism
destroys credibility, and "we" need credibility more than ever in these truly
pivotal times. <BR><BR>WT<BR><BR>At 12:53 PM 10/12/2007, Olivia Kwong
wrote:</FONT> <BR><A
href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071012/ap_on_sc/wildfires_climate_change"><FONT
color=blue
size=3><U>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071012/ap_on_sc/wildfires_climate_change</U></FONT></A><FONT
size=3> <BR><BR>Climate change likely to increase fires<BR><BR>By KATHLEEN
HENNESSEY, Associated Press Writer Thu Oct 11, 8:26 PM ET<BR><BR>LAS VEGAS -
Climate change is likely to increase the number of wildfires <BR>fueled by
invasive weeds that are spreading throughout the Great Basin, <BR>researchers
told a U.S. Senate subcommittee Thursday.<BR><BR>See the link above for the full
article
text.<BR><BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>PCA's
Restoration Working Group mailing
list<BR>RWG@lists.plantconservation.org</FONT><FONT color=blue
size=3><U><BR></U></FONT><A
href="http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/rwg_lists.plantconservation.org"><FONT
color=blue
size=3><U>http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/rwg_lists.plantconservation.org</U></FONT></A><FONT
size=3> </FONT><BR><FONT
size=2><TT><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>PCA's
Restoration Working Group mailing
list<BR>RWG@lists.plantconservation.org<BR>http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/rwg_lists.plantconservation.org<BR></TT></FONT><BR></BODY></HTML>