Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 07:36:51 +0000 From: "Susan Farrington" <sfarrington@ridgway.mobot.org> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2834$foo@default> Subject: Re: Biocontols at Humboldt
Barry,
VERY interesting point, and one I hadn't thought of before. You may
well be on to something... after all little thought is often
given when introducing exotic plants in horticulture. It has
sometimes taken 50 years for an exotic invasive plant to run out of
control and prove itself a menace to native species. Perhaps some
years from now we will learn that our meddling with biological insect
control has once again screwed up some vital balance.
Susan
> 2)It is rarely discussed, but using biocontrols can involve introducing
> new predator species to geographic regions they did not occur in
> previously. Granted, there are few people worried about the populations of
> rare, native thrips or aphids being attacked by exotic biocontrol
> predators. Perhaps this is not even an issue of significant concern. But
> perhaps it is.
>
Susan Farrington
Missouri Botanical Garden
P.O. Box 299
St. Louis MO 63166-0299
susan.farrington@mobot.org
(314)577-9402
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 02 2001 - 17:32:02 PST