Re: Non-Native Species

From: Carl Gustafson (carl.gustafson@cbis.ece.drexel.edu)
Date: Fri Jan 03 1997 - 09:28:26 PST


Date: Fri, 3 Jan 1997 12:28:26 -0500
From: Carl Gustafson <carl.gustafson@cbis.ece.drexel.edu>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg36$foo@default>
Subject: Re: Non-Native Species

Philip Thomas wrote:

>BTW, Hawaii's only NATIVE CP is Drosera anglica (on the island of Kauai,
>probably brought in as a seed on the foot of a migrating golden plover).

I think I understand the point, but to pick a nit, it seems that Hawaii's
only NATIVE CP was introduced by a bird. So, in a situation like this (land
formed by volcanic action), are native species those introduced by
non-humans, and invaders introduced by humans? Obviously, for an island
like Kauai to have any plants (or animals) they would have to have been
introduced at some time or other. You could make the point (call it
sophistry if you want, I don't mind) that since humans also arose through
evolution, (or creation, which would lead to a different line of argument)
they are part of nature and so their actions should be considered different
from other creatures only to the extent that they are so capable of
changing things.

carl



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