The invasive species world will likely be buzzing about this New York Times article (if they force you to log in, try bugmenot) pointing out that introduced species very rarely lead to native species extinctions. Read the NYT version and discuss amongst yourselves, or go whole (feral) hog and devour the original research article, available for free in its entirety (and free from the creepy illustrations in the NYT article), brought to you by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
1 comment:
The article and the research may be fallacious because the normal pace of invasion through non-human vectors is generally pretty slow. Humans, on the other hand, are engaged in a widening obnslaught through trade and travel. The synergisms from a flood of exotics and invasives may bring unexpected consequences for antive species. I know garlic mustard as a butterfly host kills US butterfly caterpillars, and I know from experience that Chinese tallow in SE Texas can form a widespread, closed-canopy monoculture in around 12-14 years. Anyone looked at Brazilian pepper in Florida recently? Ubiquitous. And the worst exotic is humanity, which has brought nothing but trouble to every place in the world, including its native African savanna.
Post a Comment