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It’s not common knowledge that they’re invasive. But I do find it interesting how we pick and choose which invasive species to villainize.
by bilsbie 4y ago
It’s not common knowledge that they’re invasive.
But I do find it interesting how we pick and choose which invasive species to villainize.
- WalterBright 4y agoI have no problem villianizing murder hornets.
- bilsbie 4y agoWhat about wild ponies?
- culi 4y agothey don't sting so they're fine. Also in North America horses lived here 10kya before going extinct so at least here they're resuming an ecological role that was once occupied by their ancestors
- civilian 4y agoAlso x2, horses originated in North America! They came to eurasia over the bering land bridge! So the horses that were released (and have thrived!) in north america are originally north american horses. It's part of why they do so well-- they can eat all of the native brush here. Whereas if a cow gets loose in n. america it's gonna poison itself. https://awionline.org/content/wild-horses-native-north-american-wildlife https://awionline.org/content/wild-horses-native-north-ameri... https://returntofreedom.org/new-research-proves-yet-again-that-modern-horse-originated-in-north-america/ https://returntofreedom.org/new-research-proves-yet-again-th...
- bitxbitxbitcoin 4y agoTrue, but the way their populations are managed now isn’t ecologically sustainable. That is to say, their natural predators are either not present, not present in large enough numbers, or forbidden by law to hunt them.[0] [0] https://priceonomics.com/when-americans-ate-horse-meat/ https://priceonomics.com/when-americans-ate-horse-meat/
- WalterBright 4y ago10 thousands of years is enough to change the ecosystems. Also, the predators that kept them in check are gone.
- WalterBright 4y agoThe Mustangs are an invasive species in the west and their population growth is devastating the local flora. "60 Minutes" ran an episode about it recently.
- bilsbie 4y agoBut we extincted bison. Don’t we need a grazing species in these areas?
- joecool1029 4y ago> But we extincted bison. I believe the word you are looking for is extirpated. They didn't go extinct, they just aren't there anymore. > Don’t we need a grazing species in these areas? Suppose that depends on your idea of what those areas should be doing.
- bitxbitxbitcoin 4y agoYou could say the previously bison populated areas have been replaced with their bovine cousins or the alfalfa to feed them.
- 11235813213455 4y agoIt's like villianizing sharks, and we know well how important they are Agreed for villianizing mosquitoes though
- 11235813213455 4y agoThe ones that were introduced by humans in massive quantities, we can add cats and dogs to the list of invasive spacies, and human itself