Opportunism and (artificial?) niche-filling? Resilience? Ripple-response to perturbations? Adaptation? Too many feral and loose domestic cats? Depression of other predator populations? Habitat change? Increased study? Not enough study?
WT What about mourning dove populations/distribution, for example? At 09:47 AM 5/2/2006, Karen Hallberg wrote: >This is a question I have had for some time. I study coyote behavior in >Ohio, and people are continually pointing out to me that coyotes are not >native to the eastern United States and, therefore, "don't belong here." >However, coyotes have migrated here on their own, possibly 200+ years ago. >What do we call that? > >Karen I. Hallberg, PhD Candidate >Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics >Museum of Biological Diversity >The Ohio State University > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "William Silvert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> >Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 11:43 AM >Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Introduced Sp. Question > > > > This seems to imply that a species is native only if it evolves in the > > location where it is found, and that any species which arrives by > > migration or other form of transport is not native. This is a very > > Eulerian approach. In particular, with global warming we can expect > > species to drift towards the poles, so even though the entire ecosystem > > drifts polewards, can we say that the component species cease to be > > native? > > > > Bill Silvert > > Habitat Ecologist > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> > > Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 3:08 PM > > Subject: Re: Introduced Sp. Question > > > > > >>I don't believe there is a "scientific" answer to this question. "Native" > >>means to me that a species has evolved in a particular ecosystem or > >>ecosystems in response to environmental factors in that/those ecosystems. > >>If we accept that definition, it is my opinion that no species introduced > >>by man, purposely or accidently, can become a "native". It might become > >>"naturalized" (able to survive and reproduce in the new environment as are > >>invasive exotics) but not "native". > >> > >> Bob Mowbray > >> Tropical Forest Ecologist > >> Natural Resource Management Specialist
