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Re: [RC] California Agricultural product restrictions - Sisu West Ranch:"...At some point what will grow and win out is the strongest plant that adapts best. It may not be what has been best in the past. MT is getting warmer, in a few years Glacier NP won't have ..." Here in MT the troublesome weeds are not here from storms birds etc, but are directly traceable to man's activities. 1. Knapweed (a number of varieties) is from Asia. Came in with oats about 100 years ago. Secretes a toxin that clears other plants around it. Completely takes over dry areas. Only goats and sheep eat it. After much study a couple of insects (introduction of which has its own risks) are starting to control it. 2. Oxeye Daisy. Brought in from Europe as a garden ornamental. Nothing eats it. 3. Tall Buttercup. Also from Europe. Nothing eats it. Enough in a pasture and at least half the grass is uneaten. The list goes on Purple Loosestrife, Dyers Woad, Dalmation Toadflax (really pretty, looks like snapdragons),. Yellow Flag Iris (plugs up water courses), all brought into N America deliberately.. Then to make life more interesting for a hay producer, wild Lupine is native to this area. The Forest Service doesn't care how much is in the hay, but it is very toxic to horses and cows. Horses don't eat it unless they are very hungry, but it is still a bad thing in hay. When confronted by invasive plants we can wait for 10-100 thousand years, or do our best to limit their spread. Personally I vote to fight, but then I have tilted at windmills before. One of the things I did not realize growing up in the less arid east is how when water is limited much more of a problem an invasive weed can be. I will admit that things like this are partly a matter of preception. When I was in England, there was a flap about how the changes in farming practices etc. were causing a beautiful wild flower to become rare and possibly extinct. Further reading revealed that it was unknown in England until it escaped from a Roman garden 2000 years ago. Sometimes, this years invasive species, is next years endangered wild flower. Ed PS. How is the Kudzu doing in Georgia? PPS. If one is worried about invasive species changing the environment, Homo Sapiens should also be eliminated or at least much reduced. Ed & Wendy Hauser 2994 Mittower Road Victor, MT 59875 (406) 642-9640 ranch(at)sisuwest(dot)us =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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