| The introduction of non-native "exotic"
species is now seen as a major threat to biodiversity. In 1825, a particularly
vigorous female clone of itadori (called Japanese knotweed) was introduced into
Holland and later distributed throughout Europe by the plant collector and
nurseryman, Von Seybold. British gardeners loved it and by 1886 it was even
found growing on cinder tips in South Wales. By the turn of the century, the
plant had colonized many other sites, and gardeners were advised against
planting it in shrubberies. By 1994, it was almost everywhere — railways,
riversides, hedgerows, cemeteries — swamping a wide range of habitats and
displacing rare species. Botanists' fears that the plant is still spreading and
may yet colonize other new habitats have generated recent attempts to eradicate
it by mechanical and chemical methods, all in vain as yet. The evidence stacked against Japanese knotweed is damning, But there is a deep anxiety that behind the desire to correct human ecological cook-ups — often manifested as a passion to save endangered species and vulnerable ecosystems — is a thinly disguised xenophobia; that we are simply seeing yet another form of ecological imperialism Which defines what is "natural" based on human preferences. But whatever our reaction to "problem" or alien species is, it must involve moral decisions. And who should make such decisions and to what degree they are accountable must also be up for review. The conclusions of scientists and other sections of society may differ vastly about what to do about the introduced animals and plants. For example, the scheme to control rabbits in Australia by deliberately spreading the disease myxomatosis was a success in that huge numbers of rabbits were wiped out for the greater good — the "health" of Australian ecosystems. But would inflicting such a horrifically slow agonizing death on sentient creatures win popular support if it were proposed today? Scientists of biodiversity are by their very nature concerned with the organization of species into systems and not necessarily with the interests and well-being of individuals, particularly those that are seen as a threat tn the maintenance of those systems. Yet there is a growing feeling for the democratization of decisions concerning nonhuman life. The movement towards environmental values must surely involve a movement away from imperialism and a search for a relationship with nature as it truly is, rather than as we would design it. Then, when our lawns have long disappeared, we may yet come to honor the humble dandelion. |