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Message: <blockquote data-quote="John o'Sullivan" data-source="post: 1434924" data-attributes="member: 6170">There is no real sense trying to operate on the world using the idea of native/non native, natural/feral. Conservation ideas based on these two principles are patheticly limited and ultimately ludicrous.Here are two examples1. Little egrets, if you apply the idea of naturally occuring to this species, logically you should exterminate them before they have a chance to firmly establish a foothold. Similarly Cattle Egrets, the northward movement of Dartford warblers/Woodlarks/Cettis warbler or indeed any attempts by Great White Egret or Spoonbill to breed . All these species are moving into Britain because of the influence of global warming, a human influence, therefore not a natural movement. If the world was "natural" they wouldn't get near here. The logical conservation arguement would be to Kill them all so that once we have sorted global warming out (with windfarms!!) the natural species can more easily fill the niche back up without any competition.Similarly as mentioned earlier, the spread of "natural" collared doves was influenced by human settlements and agricultural practices.2. "Conservationists" are concerned about the decline of European Hare in Britain (I saw some story in a paper about the public being asked to record sightings of the "endangered hare" on Gower). The Hare was apparently introduced to Britain by the Roman's with the Hare having moved east from the Asiatic steppe due to deforestation opening habitat up to it. The Roman's should therefore not have had access to the hare never mind beeen able to introduce it to Britain.Conservationists should therefore logically be pleased that the hare is dying out in Britain and do everything they can to get rid of them.The vast majority of the environment is not even close to being natural. Stop worrying about recent additions to the unnatural, they are just the latest in a long line of alterations to (long ago) pre-existing habitats.Impact on species is GOOD. This is how evolution operates. competition and exploitation of opportunities however these are generated.This is the Anthropocene. We are the natural influential dominant process affecting evolutionary change. Grey squirrels are great, canada geese are fantastic, ring necked parakeets wonderful. They are the succesful species, glory in the wonder of evolution in action. Some species win, some species loseWe are the current asteroid strike/Ice age/continental drift bringing about change. This is not right or wrong it just is. Stop worrying about change it is vital.The main reason I continue to post around these type of issues is the more I think about these ideas the more evidence I get to support them and the happier I am with the process of change.What I despair about are conservationists killing stuff and gimmicky reintroductions of "native species" in futile attempts to persuade the gullible that conservation is worthwhile and working.</blockquote>

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