At the risk of inviting a firestorm of criticism... I'd say that humans are unnatural. Id add that exotic neans a species in a place it wouldn't be without our help, and invasive is an exotic that both remains once established and spreads rapidly in new habitats (though the def of rapidly is debateable).
Nick ----- Reply message ----- From: "Jane Shevtsov" <[email protected]> Date: Thu, May 24, 2012 19:11 Subject: [ECOLOG-L] invasive truffles To: <[email protected]> Interesting question! I think I'd have to lean toward not considering humans "exotic" (and the word "invasive" is typically reserved for exotics, although some people on this list do apply it to natives). This is because we generally label species exotic when they get to a new place with human assistance (which, of course, makes it a rather problematic category, but that's another question). Of course, humans did get to new places with human assistance, but that ends up being circular! We got to places under our own power in the same way that any motile organism gets to new places, just with more technology. For this reason, I'm leaning toward not considering humans "exotic" or "invasive", although I could probably be convinced otherwise. Jane Shevtsov On Thu, May 24, 2012 at 8:58 AM, Katherine Darrow <[email protected]> wrote: > Are you willing to use the same concepts of "invasiveness" and "exotic" to > apply to humans as a species? > Why or why not? > > On May 23, 2012, at 11:30 PM, Jane Shevtsov wrote: > > "In the long run, education intended to produce a molecular > geneticist, a systems ecologist, or an immunologist is inferior, both > for the individual and for society, than that intended to produce a > broadly educated person who has also written a dissertation." --John > Janovy, Jr., "On Becoming a Biologist" > > > Wild About Wildflowers > 25821 N. 41st Drive > Phoenix, AZ 85083 > 623-582-1525 > 623-533-0171 (cell) > > > -- ------------- Jane Shevtsov, Ph.D. Mathematical Biology Curriculum Writer, UCLA co-founder, www.worldbeyondborders.org "In the long run, education intended to produce a molecular geneticist, a systems ecologist, or an immunologist is inferior, both for the individual and for society, than that intended to produce a broadly educated person who has also written a dissertation." --John Janovy, Jr., "On Becoming a Biologist"
