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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #398



At 0:26 -0400 7/21/98, Richard Sexton wrote:

>What if a bird had speread this seed instead of man ? Do we know
>for a fact none were spread by anything other than man ?

Your not the only one who has made comments like this. Someone else alluded
to seeds being carried from Africa to here by birds. Is it possible that
birds brought in these seeds? Well, yes, but it is very unlikely. It's very
difficult for a bird to fly from Africa to the American continent.

Most likely the bird that caried these seeds was a 747. To say that these
indroductions are natural is hogwash. Yes it happens in nature, but one
only has to look at worldwide diversity to realize how rare these natural
transfers are.

Unfortunately, I don't think there's much anyone can do to stop this. The
laws may slow things down, but they won't stop exotic introductions. I know
of a case of someone that brought a small turtle in from Hong Kong to the
US. They had no idea of the dangers inherent in what they were doing, after
all it was just a small pet for their kids.

Look Anges, wouldn't that plant look great growing in Johnny's goldfish
bowl?" It only takes one specimen to completely change an ecosystem.

>I find the notion that flora and fauna are static to be non-darwinian.
>
>Richard "Mmm, tastes just like spotted owl" Sexton.
>
Well, it ultimately comes down to this question, "Do we want to preserve
the biodiversity and ecosystems of our world?"

Paul

Paul Nicholson               Electronic Imaging Systems, Inc.
TEL 805 532 1068             5148 Commerce Avenue, Unit F
FAX 805 532 1065             Moorpark, CA 93021 U.S.A.
paul at eisusa_com		     http://www.eisusa.com