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Index of Subjects --20cf303b39ef62086f0493843e08 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 David, You've missed my point entirely. I only used Purple Loosestrife as a well-known example to illustrate the advantage of a white list over a banned list. I am, however, confident that any of the jobs you've attributed to PL can be done by native plants. And, you have conveniently overlooked their ability to dominate wetlands. Perhaps a drive to Ottawa, through Quebec would convince you...I did this this summer. Loosestrife has not only invaded huge areas, it I fear, has won. Randy _________________________________ RF Lauff Way in the boonies of Antigonish County, NS. On 25 October 2010 19:38, David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com> wrote: > Hi Randy & All, Oct 25, 2010 > The properties of Purple Loosestrife were discussed at some length on > naturens several years ago and, as I recall, it is a good example of a plant > with positive properties that has been smeared by prejudice (non-native = > bad) and faulty thinking. > > The seeds float and are thus readily carried downslope by flowing water > so, given a stand upslope, it can rapidly become established along the bare > earth of runoff channels such as recently graded highway ditches and in low > areas to which this runoff flows. > > The stand of plants that subsequently develops not only decreases soil > erosion, thereby decreasing siltation of inland waterways, it also moderates > the extreme fluctuation in runoff rates over time that is characteristic of > bare earth and slows the march of solutes to the ocean [any fairly large > plant would be just as good but being a pioneer it may get there first]. > > So unless one is for some reason a fan of soil loss, silt choked > streams/lakes and flash floods all of these effects are positive. > > And some cohort of organisms must make use of the carbon fixed by PL; > another positive. Why waste sunlight ? I have not read it in context but > one quote from William Blake may be applicable here "...everything that > lives is holy, life delights in life." > > Something carries these seeds upslope, presumably birds. Shortly after > I joined Naturens I came across two small stands (~1-2 metres across) south > of Kentville. After a few years they were overwhelmed by Blackberries, > Roses, Juncus etc. > > Pretending that some usefull plant such as PL is a menace may make some > people feel good but they should reflect that the genuine menace is the set > of human activities that prepares the seedbed; urban sprawl, roads to > nowhere, superhighways and the mindless pursuit of the horizon. > > As Pogo observed some 55 years ago, "I have seen the enemy and he is > us." > > Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville > > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:* Randy Lauff <randy.lauff@gmail.com> > *To:* naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > *Sent:* Monday, October 25, 2010 9:31 AM > *Subject:* Re: [NatureNS] White list of authorized plants > > I think the point of a white list, as opposed to a banned list is > relatively straight forward, actually. > > I do take Marty's point that with huge shipments of goods, and also people > who won't abide by rules, control may be difficult. I don't think anyone > believes that a "toss in the towel" approach is correct either. > > Assume for a moment that Purple Loosestrife was not here, and assume we did > not know of its potential invasiveness. It would not have appeared on a > banned list. Anyone could have imported it for sale as a garden plant, then > boom, we'd have had a problem. If on the other hand we used the white list > approach, Loosestrife would not have been on the list (I assume all species > on the list undergo some sort of clearance to make it on the list), and > Loosestrife would not have been allowed in to the country. Barring > accidental import, we would not have had the problem. One can guffaw at this > example as being trite, but I'm using it to illustrate a point. > > The precautionary approach is being used to protect our environment. In > other words, we are staving off problems that we don't know about, and those > we do know about, instead of just the ones we do know about. > > Randy > _________________________________ > RF Lauff > Way in the boonies of > Antigonish County, NS. > > > On 24 October 2010 20:16, David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>wrote: > >> Hello: Oct 24, 2010 >> This is not Apr 1, but I just heard about a move to replace the list of >> prohibited plants (for movement between Canada and USA) by a much longer >> list of allowed plants, so I wonder if this is an April 1 joke that has been >> held up nearly 7 months at the border. >> >> If valid, then it sounds like an efficient way to generate inefficiency >> and and an efficient way to create unnecessary inconvenience and/or >> hardship. >> >> I don't know what plants are on the prohibited list but it seems to me >> that a short list is more readily understood, enforced or questioned than a >> much longer list. >> >> Thus we have no-fly lists as apposed to fly lists, lists of people who >> must report to local police weekly as opposed to lists of those who do not >> have to report, lists of insect pests for specific crops as opposed lists of >> insects that are not pests, etc. >> >> I stand to be corrected by evidence based comments, but in my >> recollection any problem created by non-native vascular plants that have >> crossed the border by permit is miniscule (zero perhaps) compared to the >> problems created by non-vascular organisms that were brought to North >> America by accident, such as Dutch Elm Disease and Beech Canker. >> >> Yours truly, David H. Webster, Kentville, N.S. >> > > ------------------------------ > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.862 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3213 - Release Date: 10/22/10 > 15:34:00 > > --20cf303b39ef62086f0493843e08 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable David,<div><br></div><div>You've missed my point entirely.</div><div><b= r></div><div>I only used Purple Loosestrife as a well-known example to illu= strate the advantage of a white list over a banned list.</div><div><br>&