I don't have the entire article, but from what I surmise from the
comments thus far, it sounds like another attack on those of us who like to
grow interesting plants and who actually care about their continued
survival. More important, from a conservation point of view, it makes no
sense. Evolution is not static, gene pools constantly shift, and if
anything the world has been very unstable in the last few million years--who
knows how many plant species were wiped out by the repeated Pleistocene
glaciations onm the northern hemisphere. Now that humans are here, there is
no going back, rather we need to think
about doing our best to preserve what diversity is left, and that means
growing them, setting up seedbanks, and in some cases moving species in
response to/ianticipation of global climate change. An argument could also
be made that while there may be short term, human induced, extinctions, the
movement of plants to new areas may actually enhance biodiversity in the far
future (assuming we manage not to wreck the planet first).
A Lilium species collection in the UK indeed may save some species, as
I imagine the rampant ecological destruction in Tibet, western/southwestern
China, Burma, and much of the rest of himalayan region (except perhaps
Bhutan) might very well drive some species of lilium to extinction. Such
efforts are both necessary and commendable. Though perhaps occasionally
common to the point of pesky in their new home, Gladiolus caryophyllaceus
and Morea aristata are far safer from extinction in Australia than in their
native South Africa. Deppea splendens survives only in cultivation, if Dr.
Breedlove had not been able to bring back live material to the US from
Mexico at the time, this magnificent shrub would be gone. Clearly humans
are not going to disappear or even voluntarily reduce their excessive
numbers, so there can be no real preservation of a status quo. Our world
ecosystems are constantly, and it seems with increasing speed, changing due
to our activities that is not
beneficial for the survival of many other plants and animals.
In the end, there is no perfect solution, and steps need to be taken by
interested and informed individuals, who can make a small difference in our
too short lifetimes. Relying on goverments that are hard pressed by other
concerns to protect plants with limited geographic ranges is bound to fail
in the long term, as funding for such programs will invariably be cut in
reponse to economic constraints. In areas of the world where biodiversity,
population growth, and poverty are all high, there is no real effort to
protect rare plants, so limiting their movement only seals their sad fate.
Having a doctorate myself, I can only imagine that the authors of this
article must possess a very narrow fact base in their actual knowledge of
rare plants. Its a common problem in academia, where the intense focus on
the tree obscures the view of the forest. I wonder, could they actually
grow a rare plant, and do they have years of practical experience observing
plant communities in various areas (not just the one field/species/ecosystem
or whatever they studied for their doctorates).
Just some of my thoughts on this complex issue, plus I have to admit, I
really liked the phrase "cretinous literary endeavours". I'll have to
remember that one next time I'm grading a student essay.
Ernie DeMarie
Tuckahoe, NY Z6/7 where a lone crocus is blooming in my
school garden, along with the first eranthis.

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