Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Caveats: NONE Wayne,
This is an intriguing narrative. Can you provide more specifics? I'd like to know which species you used for restoration? What were the habitat characteristics of the restoration site, and what native plant association was present that you have observed to be so resistant to invasion in this case? As to your statement about indigenous flora and fauna not evolving under such disturbance regimes as those that support colonization by invasives, there are indigenous habitats that support flora and fauna that are dependent on disturbance to maintain themselves. If you would like further information, I would be happy to elaborate. Melissa -----Original Message----- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Wayne Tyson Sent: Monday, July 18, 2011 1:08 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Ecology Colonization Re: [ECOLOG-L] New paper about "invasive species" debate All: 3.9 decades ago, I did a different sort of "restoration" project in which I "used" "invasive" (I prefer "colonizing") species. In the following ten years of observation (could find no ecologists to independently and critically study and quantify; hence no scientific publication was ever done) I noticed that as the indigenous species developed, the alien species almost entirely disappeared or became a minor element, apparently dependent upon disturbance for their persistence. In this particular context, no "eradication" was done, and in the ensuing 2.1 decades of practice I have found that eradication efforts often caused more problems than they solved; that a healthy indigenous ecosystem could almost always suppress colonizing species. Further, it has been my observation that most "invasiveness" is primarily dependent upon disturbance (e.g., grazing and trampling by domestic livestock and other perturbations under which the indigenous flora and fauna did not evolve). Over the period 1972-2000 other projects exhibited similar characteristics. WT ----- Original Message ----- From: "Annette Olson" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 18, 2011 11:29 AM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] New paper about "invasive species" debate > Two decades ago, the late Walter Westman wrote thoughtfully on the subject > of positive and negative effects of invaders. He suggested a phased > strategy > in which eradication of invasive plants would be balanced with restoration > of native vegetation to minimize both ecological and aesthetic impacts. > > > > Westman, W.E. 1990. Park management of exotic plant species: problems and > issues. Conservation Biology 4 (3): 254-256. > > > > Westman, W.E. 1990. Managing for biodiversity: unresolved science and > policy > questions. BioScience 40 (1): 29. > > > > Annette Olson > > Seattle, Washington > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 10.0.1390 / Virus Database: 1516/3772 - Release Date: 07/18/11 > Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Caveats: NONE
