Tacy, I believe that a naturalized species is generally considered to be one that after introduction has established a viable population.
http://69.90.183.227/doc/articles/2002-/A-00249.pdf Post oak is not an introduced species in Texas, it is "native" by any definition. When Europeans came on the scene, it was here. No human agent is known to have brought it. Unlike honeybees that moved across the landscape as an invasive ahead of migrating Europeans, post oak was already here. mcneely ---- Tacy Fletcher <cay...@yahoo.com> wrote: > >From a land-manager's perspective regarding the post oaks of the Texas > >region, most likely one would say that post-oaks havenaturalizedas many > >introduced species do. Whether the species was introduced by animal or > >weather phenomena is a debate not worth having. But for fun I thought I > >would add the POV of a stewardship technician: that if it isn't running > >amok, then I have more aggressive plant species to try to corral. Cordially yours, Tacy Fletcher (uses pseudonym "Cayt Fletch" on facebook) also tflet...@pnc.edu Fletch >________________________________ > From: Martin Meiss <mme...@gmail.com> >To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU >Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 8:39 AM >Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] definition of "native" > > Even if we agree as to what "native" means, phrases such as "native to >Texas" are problematic, and not just because, as Matt Chew points out, >human political constructs vary with time. If a tree is native to one >little corner of Texas, then the statement "native to Texas" applies, but >what does it mean? It might be politically significant, for instance for >state laws governing exploitation of the species, but biologically not very >useful. It seems to me that for biological purposes, the concept of >"native" should be tied to some biologically oriented construct, such as >Holdridge's life zones. > > Of course, a person out for a walk my come upon a species and wonder >if it is found in the area because of human intervention. Phrasing the >question as "Is this species native to this area?" would probably be >understood, but perhaps it would be better to ask in terms of human >intervention, i.e., "Is this species introduced?" Sometimes it is easier >to account for what humans do than for what nature does. > >Martin M. Meiss > > >2012/3/13 Matt Chew <anek...@gmail.com> > >> The general definition of 'native' is 'not introduced'. It is a historical >> criterion, not an ecological one, and it rests entirely on absence of >> evidence for introduction. That definition has not changed at all since it >> was first fully codified in England in 1847. >> >> David McNeely's claim that "Post oak has been in Texas probably for much of >> its existence as a species" suggests that Texas has been Texas for a very >> long time indeed. But Texas, as a place identified by various sets of >> boundaries, is itself "post European" by the standard David provided. By >> 1847 Texas was already flying the fifth of its six European-derived flags, >> during the Mexican-American War. And of course, post oak certainly isn't >> endemic to any version of Texas, no matter how expansively imagined; most >> post oaks have not been in Texas in any way. >> >> The tree hasn't even been called 'post oak' for "much of its existence as a >> species". Whether it was a species at all before being described and named >> _Quercus_stellata_ by Friederich Adam Julius von Wangenheim late in the >> 18th century is arguable, but it is certain that _Quercus_stellata_ >> translates more literally to "star oak" than "post oak". Very Texan. >> >> While this is all good semantic fun, it also draws attention serious >> conceptual weaknesses in our vague ideas and ideals of place-based >> belonging. For more, see >> >> http://asu.academia.edu/MattChew/Papers/450641/The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Biotic_Nativeness_A_Historical_Perspective >> a.k.a. chapter 4 of Richardson's "Fifty Years of Invasion Ecology: The >> Legacy of Charles Elton." >> >> Matthew K Chew >> Assistant Research Professor >> Arizona State University School of Life Sciences >> >> ASU Center for Biology & Society >> PO Box 873301 >> Tempe, AZ 85287-3301 USA >> Tel 480.965.8422 >> Fax 480.965.8330 >> mc...@asu.edu or anek...@gmail.com >> http://cbs.asu.edu/people/profiles/chew.php >> http://asu.academia.edu/MattChew >> > > > -- David McNeely
