10-21-2007, 01:54 AM
A question I'd like answered by someone--and one I find often dodged is this:
How long must a given species exist in a particular place before "experts" arbitrarily feel intitled to declare it native?
I mean, certainly, NOTHING is native to the Hawaiian Islands at some point in history, and everything that lives there is a recent immigrant in geologic terms. That doesn't mean that the ecosystem isn't very health, pure, and pristine--but it's clear to me that species come and species go in every ecosystem. Ecosystems are not static, but living growing adapting units.
Believe me, I'm a advocate for ecology, but as for the frog issue--it seems purely to be a noise nuisance level issue that some people put a green wash on with the attempt to get state aid in improving the "quality" of their property.
How long must a given species exist in a particular place before "experts" arbitrarily feel intitled to declare it native?
I mean, certainly, NOTHING is native to the Hawaiian Islands at some point in history, and everything that lives there is a recent immigrant in geologic terms. That doesn't mean that the ecosystem isn't very health, pure, and pristine--but it's clear to me that species come and species go in every ecosystem. Ecosystems are not static, but living growing adapting units.
Believe me, I'm a advocate for ecology, but as for the frog issue--it seems purely to be a noise nuisance level issue that some people put a green wash on with the attempt to get state aid in improving the "quality" of their property.