"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Des Higgins" writes:
|
| The millions of years bit was for dramtic effect; point taken.
| I was just pointing out how bad it is to refer to letting grey
squirrels run
| riot or to not control rhodondrons or sycamores as evolution.
| Evolution has been used and misused to make dubious political
statements
| many times and this was one.

What we need is some beech martens to control the grey squirrels :-)

On a global scale, whether we worry about any of those three species

Globally absolutely but locally Rhododendron ponticum is a disaster in
Ireland.
We have bugger all in terms of unique habitat or species. One of the few
things we have that is spectacular is the Oak woods of SW Ireland. These
are sopping wet and do not get much frost and are loaded with (locally
restricted) mosses and liverworts and ferns. In terms of species, very few
(in any?) are endemic but it is a spectacular habitat in beautiful
countryside and is now restricted to a few valleys having once covered the
entire region. You also get Kerry spottted slugs and St Patricks Cabbage
and yew and arbutus woodland.
Once rhodos move in you get zilch apart from the rhodos themselves. It is
sad and it is right to try to control them. Sycamores are not as bad and
deer are certainly a problem as are sheep (in some areas).
Globally it is a blip but locally it is maybe the most important habitat in
Ireland.


or not is pretty irrelevant - the UK's ecology is as artificial as
they get, and all of those three species are very close to ones that
are native to Europe. And we need lynx to control the deer!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.