Invasive Species

Okay, this is my 2nd attempt at a post on the 3 videos on invasive species. I typed a review of them in the Comments box, but I cannot find it, so I'm going to give a brief 2nd review. (It would be great if this blogging issue could be resolved.) Anyway, the basic message of these video clips is that while man's intentions may be justified and worthwhile, when they are introducing a new species into the environment, they should really do more in-depth research on the possible ill-affects/dangers of introducing these species for a particular purpose. While they may be helpful in controlling one problem, they could create other problems. For instance, the kudzu plant, which was brought to the South to control soil erosion, turned out to be an out-of-control vine that literally takes over any areas in which it grows, choking off other vegetation. Another example is the Asian mongoose, which was brought to Hawaii to control the rat population that was destroying the sugar cane crops. The only problem was, after the mongoose gained control of the rats, they started to prey on the eggs of endangered bird eggs. So, these are some examples as to why it is important for scientists, farmers, environmentalists need to do their homework when introducing any foreign species into the environment - because the consequences could be far more damaging than the initial problem.