Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 11:13:24 -0800 (PST) From: Barry Meyers-Rice <bamrice@ucdavis.edu> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg927$foo@default> Subject: VFTs in Florida
Hi Prem,
I am familiar with the occurrence of venus flytraps in northern Florida.
But while those plants are there, I wouldn't encourage additional
plantings. There are a couple of reasons for this.
1)People doing plantings like this usually don't do it via seed. They plop
in whole plants. When they do this, they are depositing not only those
plants, but whatever else is in the soil. Things like greenhouse weeds,
pests, diseases, etc. all get spread around. So while the Venus Flytraps
themselves may not be invasive, the "extras" that go along with it may be
very bad.
2)Despite the best intentions of people, planting out new species always
runs the risk of unintended consequences. I could imagine some native
insect of small range, that doesn't know about venus flytraps. Poor little
thing! :)
3)A planting like this would achieve only one thing, that is, ensure that
the plant will not go extinct. But I guarantee you that North and South
Carolina could sink under the ocean today and Venus Flytraps will not go
extinct. They are FIRMLY established in cultivation, so plantings of them
in wildland Florida won't achieve anything. Land conservation in North and
South Carolina is the only thing you can do if you want to achieve
meaningful conservation of VFTs.
As Mike pointed out, VFT habitat is being destroyed at a tremendous and
sinful rate. But I do not think that planting VFTs in the wild in Florida
has value. Interesting, perhaps, but not a good idea. For more on this
topic, go to http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq436.html
Barry
------------------------
Dr. Barry A. Meyers-Rice
Carnivorous Plant Newsletter
Conservation Coeditor
barry@carnivorousplants.org
http://www.carnivorousplants.org
> If there were ever a severe threat to flytrap populations in NC, then
> send us samples of wild flytraps and we can make sure that they will
> never go extinct, living happily in the wilds of north Florida (there
> are plenty of other boggy areas that could support flytraps, along with
> the already indigenous Sarracenia, Drosera, Pinguicula and Utricularia
> that already make FL their home).
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 02 2001 - 17:35:07 PST