Take Spartina alterniflora as an Example to Talk About How to Treat Invasive Species | Zhou Talks Fourth Civilization(266)

Recently, Dr. ZHOU Jinfeng, Secretary General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), conducted a field survey of mangrove forests, and deeply discussed the invasive alien species Spartina alterniflora and its relationship with mangroves.

His statement is summarized as follows:

1) Is Spartina alterniflora good? On the coast, on the wasteland, on the banks without mangroves, where there is a wasteland, they will grow in patches. They are effective in preventing dust and sand and soil erosion.

The migration of species is a natural phenomenon, and we should deal with it in a natural and effective way. Large-scale sabotage cannot be organized. What we want to study is resilience, restoration and ecosystem. Naturally, we should treat invasive alien species with the ideas, logic and concepts of the fourth civilization.

Even identified invasive alien species, such as Spartina alterniflora, should not be exterminated. It has its own ecological niche, has its growth space and role. We should give nature some space, and let nature adjust. Many species have an adaptation process to survive locally.

2) Spartina alterniflora is associated with mangrove forests. Some people say that mangroves and Spartina alterniflora are exactly the same ecological niche. If Spartina alterniflora is allowed to grow unchecked, it will threaten the survival of mangroves. In fact, when I was on site a while back, I found Spartina alterniflora and mangroves living in harmony.

As we all know, Spartina alterniflora is a plant that is extremely dependent on sunlight, it can not grow in mangroves, to compete with mangroves for nutrition, water and sunlight, but the larger mangroves are easy to block the sunlight of the smaller Spartina alterniflora. Spartina alterniflora can't grow where mangroves block the sun.

3) Some experts believe that in mangrove reserves, the goal is to protect mangroves and eliminate all other irrelevant species. This is a completely wrong view. In mangrove protected areas, mangroves as indicator species should of course be given priority attention and protection, but this does not mean that other species should not be allowed to survive. In fact, what we want to protect is nature, and the right approach is to minimize human intervention. Some Spartina alterniflora grows naturally in the mangrove clearings and is fine. Taken as a whole, they are an ecosystem.

In general, as for invasive species, if it does not affect our production and life, and will not have a negative impact on the ecological environment, we should let it naturally eliminate, evolve, and survive and develop naturally. This is what we often call the wilderness. This is the attitude we recommend for invasive alien species like Spartina alterniflora. In protected areas, the most important thing is "restoration" rather than artificial repairation.

Original Chinese Article:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/rvlKlZE5XYNWrqfi9FArUg

Translator: YJ

Checked By: Maggie

Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776



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