Dear Smita With use of controlled weedicide, all herbaceous and some shrubby weeds can be destroyed. But it has to be done on a very large scale. But some people may not prefer chemicals. There must be some biological controls too, just that we need to do some research. For example, find a catterpillar that feeds exclusively on Chromolaena sp. Once the plant is extinct from area, that particular catterpillar will also go extinct on its own. Third way is to organise a megaevent to uproot all these weeds one by one. Where there is a will, there is a way. Pankaj
On Wednesday, 13 March 2013 10:59:00 UTC+8, Dr Pankaj Kumar wrote: > > Dear all, > > Recently I came across a post of Dendrobium barbatulum growing on Acacia. > So I felt like writing about it. > > There are many ways to look at it, but ultimately it is not a happy moment > in anycase. > > Orchid seed germination is strictly dependent on fungal association, so > growing on Acacia means it was able to find a fungi (mycorrhiza) that was > able to grow on Acacia which is native to Australia. Question is, did the > orchids adapt to a new environment or the fungi? > Many times we walk in the forests and even if we are very much careful and > we dont wish to disturb the natural environment, we do throw things like > fruits and vegetables (left overs from our food) saying that it is > biodegradable. But can you imagine, an apple doesnt grow in the western > ghats, then how does the apple get decomposed there by a fungi or bacteria? > Microorganisms are everywhere, they just need a host to propagate. An apple > decomposing fungi or bacteria cant propagate if there is no apple and hence > no apple tree in the area is a kind of a biocontrol for that fungi or > bacteria etc. But its human who alters the environment every where. Even by > throwing a bio degradable apple on the floor in a non apple area, we are > kind of adding very minor doses of poison to the environment there and its > not good for natural habitat. > > Ever thought, how a pig virus that was supposed to infect only pigs could > infect human being causing swine flu? Its not the adaptation of human but > the microorganisms. > > Just somethings to ponder about!! and we must not encourage exotics to > take over natural vegetation in India. > > Few days back I was attending one seminar by a guy from China. He is one > of the two persons who manages the online Forest Herbarium database. People > from all over china just upload their pics selflessly (something similar to > what we do on efloraofindia). They also keep tracks of the exotic or alien > plants. Recently they came across an invasive climber of Mikania which was > uploaded by one of the citizen scientists for id. It was the first report > of this invasive species from a particular county or area. Hence it was > reported to authorities and they went to the concerned area and destroyed > all individuals of this invasive species. India must have a proper invasive > species management system before Lantana reaches the top of himalayas. > > Best regards > Pankaj > > > > > -- > *********************************************************** > *Pankaj Kumar*, Ph.D. > *IUCN-SSC Orchid Specialist Group Asia > * > > *Office*: > Conservation Officer > Orchid Conservation Section > Flora Conservation Department > Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) Corporation > Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. > > *Residence*: > 151, 1st Floor, Tai Om Tsuen > Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. > > *email*: [email protected]; [email protected] > *Phone*: +852 2483 7128 (office - 8:30am to 5:00pm); +852 9436 6251 > (mobile). *Fax*: +852 2483 7194 > > -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
