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We have an obligation in my view to work against the damage we as a species has done. Which means eliminating the feral pigs that threaten wildlife and plants, finding a way to restore lost species like the chestnut trees or bison or elk or caribou and so forth to their native range wherever possible.
Reducing the human population, our environmental impact and restoring the predators is our obligation.
Keep in mind all the environmental, immigration, zoning and other self-restricting laws we as humans impose on ourselves. No other species recognizes that it has the potential to become a pest and no other species actively seeks to regulate it's own destructive potentials.
If prairie dogs and gophers had backhoes, the Earth would definitely be in trouble.
We don't do nearly enough, but I mostly agree with what you said except the earth is in trouble because humans have backhoes.
We don't do nearly enough, but I mostly agree with what you said except the earth is in trouble because humans have backhoes.
Of course you realize you are sitting at your PC in a warm library or in your house or apartment because humans have backhoes? At our population densities I dare say we would be in a much sadder mess if we only had shovels and picks to work with.
Few on CD would disagree with you that the World is in a sad shape and getting worse. However, I do disagree that crippling the abilities of the only species on Earth that has the power to make things better is the way to go. Also, I can assure you that, to humans, environmental protection is a second consideration to their own safety and security as it would be to any species that wishes to survive. In this regard, only nations with some degree of wealth will have the ability to protect their environments. It may be a lose/lose situation in that, if the U.S. were to become a poor nation because its industry all moved out, environmental protection would cease to exist and if industries continue to run unfettered, the environment loses again.
In short, there has always been a balance between maintaining industry and protecting the environment. I worked at trying to maintain that balance as a professional biologist for the last two decades but I found that there were always those who want to totally get rid of industry and those who want to totally get rid of the wildlife that hindered industry. I also sadly learned that it depended on how much an individual was adversely affected personally by either act that determined the side of the table they sat on. Lawyers from both sides were the only winners in those battles.
I have to say it has been a hard life's lesson to be perceived as one who tried to stand between the extremes on both sides of US environmental policy. Even those in the middle hate you because they see you as "riding the fence." Gladly I now live in a very rural area of west Texas where my white hair and ancient education luckily makes me even more irrelevant than my nation who shamefully uses politics on both sides of the isle to guide its science and logic.
I once stood below a bald eagle nest in Alabama and thought how sad to think that their protection depended on lawyers and politicians.
Chinese Privet Hedge is taking over the South. Birds love the berries and spread them everywhere.
Yep, Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) is definately a big problem down here, and has been for quite some time. My property used to be infested with it so bad that I couldn't even walk through it. Strangely though, Japanese Privet (Ligustrum japonica)seems much better behaved, and I seldom ever find those in the woods.
Another problem here in the lower South is the Chinese Tallow tree (aka "popcorn tree"). They love moist areas, and you can see miles and miles of them along I-10 driving through Louisiana. If you cut them down you'll have 30 sprouts pop up in its place.
Of course you realize you are sitting at your PC in a warm library or in your house or apartment because humans have backhoes? At our population densities I dare say we would be in a much sadder mess if we only had shovels and picks to work with.
I do realize that I am part of the problem as is every human on earth. However, I also realize I am much less of a problem than most people in the US, so I do what I can.
"An invasive species can be any kind of living organism—an amphibian, plant, insect, fish, fungus, bacteria, or even an organism’s seeds or eggs—that is not native to an ecosystem and which causes harm. They can harm the environment, the economy or even, human health. Species that grow and reproduce quickly, and spread aggressively, with potential to cause harm, are given the label of “invasive”."-http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/threats-to-wildlife/invasive-species.aspx
"An invasive species is a plant or animal that is not native to a specific location (an Introduced species); and has a tendency to spread, which is believed to cause damage to the environment."-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasive_species
The reason I say it's ironic is we humans are by far the most destructive invasive species that has ever existed. We should be worrying about how to manage us before we try to work on the Eucalyptus trees or wild pigs.
Well, be that as it may, the most of my question revolves around species that affect us, as humans. I do grant that hybrid animals,, and aggressive, introduced plant and animal life, ARE human caused, to one degree or another. Some of the very worst issues we have in this regard, are fue to, supposedly, highly educated, biologist types, who felt that things could be controlled "naturally, by introduction of ...biological. methods.
At any rate,I'm not looking for any indictments or finger pointing. More interested in what issues are plauging who and where.and how. Various method being employed for control and such. I'm particularly interested in hybrid predators, as k have some experience with that, and have seem some mixes that brought up my eyebrows.
I would prefer to not see the discussion degrade into an argument instead of an informative session.
We don't have as many problems with invasive species here in Nebraska as other parts of the country do, but we do have our share of troublemakers. We're just on the edge of the Emerald Ash Borer's current range, and it's not going to be long before it's here.
Stink bugs? They are invasive to WV huh? They are native and quite common here in NV. A common , Summer ...occurance. lol
Poster may be talking about the brown marmalated stink bug which hit America from Asia in the 1990s in Pa. and spread. It has no predators and does damage to fruit crops. Also invades houses in the fall to overwinter. Here in Md., the invasion was Biblical in 2010 and 2012.
Russian olives and their excessive need for water are as annoying to me as lilac bushes.
Some thistles. Carp. The Canadian gray wolf. The latter sure have displaced and destroyed our native wolves.
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