Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Kate Spinner <kespinner@gmail.com>]

I haven't followed the entire muscovy duck thread, but it seems to be related to their invasiveness. Here in Florida they are a very serious problem. They outcompete native ducks, including the endemic Mottled Duck, which is struggling to maintain its foothold. Muscovies do fly, as they tend to roost in trees around here. They are also extremely aggressive toward people, especially when they take up residence in area parks where ignorant people perpetuate the problem by feeding them. I would not recommend breeding them, at least not in a subtropical environment where they can easily go feral and cause a nuisance that threatens the population of native species.

- Kate

Sarasota, FL

On Aug 21, 2010, at 4:01 PM, Pego Rice wrote:

Oh yes, Ireland lost all it's high-tier predators and great forests.  I do hope their re-introduction helps get your topsoil back up a bit, if they ever hit ground.  There's a connection there that most people don't know about, but you're quite right to think that with predators the greater variety is a good thing, sign of a balanced ecosystem. We're gradually noticing that effect here in the US, hopefully not to late on it. Helps the soil maintain and recover.

 

http://www.umac.org/rss/videos/theReturnOfTheWolf.mp4

 

Heh, when I read that list I realised I'd left several off, nearly 8 local egg, duckling and duck eating snakes plus turtles.  Even squirrels will eat duck eggs.  Muscovies are not much for flying anywhere, they are non-migratory and I think evolution will someday turn them into a warm weather penguin if humans (and out of control fox) don't kill them off.  They just wander about, making nests and laying dozens of eggs until they can clutch out a couple and raise them.  I get to observe them in the wild, I take, far more than most here on this list....

 

Yours, Pego

<<A wide variety of predators might actually be easier I have often thought. There is nothing here that can efficiently deal with fox or mink except humans. Of course the natural vegetation of near impenetrable gorse or briars on bog land do not help.
Thanks for taking the time to let me understand.>>john>>

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