---- malcolm McCallum <[email protected]> wrote: > Sorry, but habitats are places. > The are defined by composition, soil type in a space. > That space is a place. > Granted, the habitat in a place can change, but it is for now a defined place.
Hmm..... . I think that most ecologists consider an organism's habitat to be the general sort of place where it occurs, such as certain kinds of fishes occurring in small streams, others in large rivers, others in lakes. It is a place, but not in the geographic sense. Finer definition gets into niche properties. Boy, ecologists are probably hung up on the taxonomy of their work more than any other group of biologists except, well, taxonomists. :-) :-) David > > > On Thu, Apr 25, 2013 at 8:50 AM, Wayne Tyson <[email protected]> wrote: > > Ecolog: > > > > Howley makes an excellent point. "Habitats" are not PLACES, but conditions > > that permit an organism to survive and reproduce. GARDENING with "native" > > plants certainly can preserve germplasm and "create" habitats (or at least > > fragments of habitat) for other "native" species, and thus should not be > > condemned, but the illusion that because a plant is native to a region or > > political unit like a state, does not mean that a given organism will > > automatically be suitable for a particular location. > > > > However, site conditions often can be changed (e.g., retention of the > > original soil before development and replacement at the proper state of > > project completion) to more closely suit INDIGENOUS organisms. Therefore, > > effective restoration techniques can be applied to restore species complexes > > and even ecosystems, which can then be managed according to project > > requirements (just short of wagging the dog off its tail). > > > > WT > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jesse Howley" <[email protected]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 1:51 PM > > > > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Arguments for Native Plants > > > > > >> I am a big advocate of native plants, but the argument that natives are > >> adapted to local soils, climate, etc. is really not right some (if not a > >> lot) of the time. > >> In the majority of "landscape" settings, the soils have been remarkably > >> degraded and even the climate little resembles that in which the natives > >> evolved sometimes with heat island effects, etc. The unfortunate > >> conclusions > >> is that in some cases "natives" are actually less well suited to any given > >> site. > >> As much as many may not want to admit it, at times the best plant for any > >> given site might not be native, but rather adapted to an area. > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news > >> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Peter Beck > >> Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 10:03 AM > >> To: [email protected] > >> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Arguments for Native Plants > >> > >> Also especially important for landscaping purposes, because native plants > >> have adapted to the local soils and climate, they require less water, > >> fertilizers, pesticides as well as less pruning and maintenance generally. > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: "Ted Turluck" <[email protected]> > >> To: [email protected] > >> Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 9:16:47 AM > >> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Arguments for Native Plants > >> > >> Hello List Members, > >> > >> I am working with native plants and would like to make sure I have all the > >> arguments for native plants correct. If I am missing some, please let me > >> know. My goal is to promote native plants for use in landscaping and > >> grazing. > >> > >> Native plants provide habitat and food for native wildlife. This is > >> particularly important with increasing urban development and the habitat > >> loss that goes along with development. > >> > >> Native plants make up a large part of the ecological heritage of an area. > >> They made up the environment in which the first settlers lived and the > >> resources they used. > >> > >> Native plants are less likely to become invasive because the herbivores, > >> parasites, and pathogens they evolved with are still present. > >> > >> That is all I have at the moment. Please let me know what other arguments > >> I need to add or how I can strengthen the ones I already have. > >> > >> Thanks! > >> -- > >> Ted Turluck > >> > >> > >> ----- > >> No virus found in this message. > >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > >> Version: 10.0.1432 / Virus Database: 3162/5770 - Release Date: 04/24/13 > >> > > > > > > -- > Malcolm L. McCallum > Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry > School of Biological Sciences > University of Missouri at Kansas City > > Managing Editor, > Herpetological Conservation and Biology > > "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - > Allan Nation > > 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert > 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, > and pollution. > 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction > MAY help restore populations. > 2022: Soylent Green is People! > > The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) > Wealth w/o work > Pleasure w/o conscience > Knowledge w/o character > Commerce w/o morality > Science w/o humanity > Worship w/o sacrifice > Politics w/o principle > > Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any > attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may > contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized > review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not > the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and > destroy all copies of the original message. -- David McNeely
