Last year, I posted an argument that not all alien species are bad, based on a study of the invasive aquatic plant Hydrilla; I got pretty bloodied, not only because it’s an unpopular notion in enviro circles, but also because of my clumsy presentation and defense of the idea. Yesterday’s New York Times ran a feature called “Friendly Invaders” that says rather well what I was angling on, and then it goes a lot further. The scientists profiled make the case that very few actual extinctions can be traced to invasives, some introduced species like honeybees are crucially important in their new homelands, and introductions usually just increase the overall biodiversity of their new homes. Islands are where that all goes south, of course, and some invasives are clearly awful, but overall, I find it pretty darn interesting. You?
