permaculture

[Carl Jeffry Goebel <goebel@wsu.edu>]

The discussion about non-natives always amuses me.  As an European originated 
descendent who works with Native Americans, I am always amused how the 
discussion of "those" invasive weeds, etc. seems to forget how much mixing of 
the globe has gone on over the last couple of hundred years, as well as over 
millions of years.

Is there such a thing as "good" and "bad" species?  Is eradication realistic, 
or is it just another way to divert resources (money, time, fossil energy, 
chemicals) from more important work?

Good day.

-----Original Message-----
From:   Bareis, Santa Cruz [SMTP:ibabambu@cruzio.com]
Sent:   Wednesday, October 22, 1997 7:18 AM
To:     Permaculture list
Subject:        Fw: invasive non natives


Please when posting, if you would add the location of your perspective;
As "from where I'm sitting"  adds a dimension to the discussion.
Here is a recent  response to the discussion on introduction of 
"productive" species into the  environment.

Non-native plants and the loss of natural diversity...

> Where I work, in the 100th of 1% of what's left of the great
> Willamette Valley wet prairie, all of it is contaminated by non native
> plants and animals...some very aggressive...and some introduced by our
> well meaning government many years ago.  A dozen non native pasture
> grasses compete with native grasses.  Pears, crabapples, regular apples,
> and many other plants grown as ornamentals threaten wetlands..we have
> cotoneaster, rowan, juniper spp., hawthornes (which hybridize with our
> native Crataegus douglasii), pyracantha, and of coarse scotch
> broom...which lumberjacks in the early 20th century noticed invading the
> first regrowth after the old growth was cut here in OR.  The Nature
> Conservancy is dedicated to eradicating these pests wherever possible.
> Some will never be completely eradicated and we must live with them.  For
> some there is no known method to eliminate them and the best policy is to
> just leave them alone and prevent disturbing the soil.  We practice fire
> management here, much the same as the indiginous Kalapooya, before the
> coming of non native settlers.  Gil- Willamette Valley Oregon
> 
> .-

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