Chapters 6 and 7 of Emma Marris’ Rambunctious Garden discuss the highly debatable concepts of invasive species and novel ecosystems. The first chapter focuses on the generally negative view of invasive species. I think this goes back to the initial discussion of these species when they were described in ways that promote disgust and dislike. “Invasive” is a word that hints at intrusion and taking over of an ecosystem. While this is true of some species that go from one environment to another it is not something that we should label all transitioning species as. The reasons for a species moving are never the same. While some come on their own, possibly in search for a better environment to support life, others hitch rides on humans and other human controlled articles. A major issue that is brought up in the book is the presence of National Park Service strike teams, who decimate the populations of invasive species in the U.S. Now this conquest would seem like a good idea if all species being killed were causing serious damage to the environments they were invading. The members of the team describe their task as “saving the plant communities that have been here historically.” This goes back to the debate on whether or not the environments present years ago are what we really should be striving for today. It seems that the goal is not to protect species in danger of extinction, but rather to keep the landscape strictly how it has always been natively. I do not agree with this stance because if the plants can find a way to live together in the same ecosystem, there is no reason to cause such destruction to a species, even if it is invasive.
The second idea discussed was novel ecosystems. A novel ecosystem is not an untouched piece of nature, but rather something that has experienced some human influence and then left to go wild on is own. I find this to be a fascinating concept because it is really interesting to see how nature can “reclaim” areas that humans once used. This is very reminiscent of the High Line in NYC. The wildlife in that particular park grows around the long since used train tracks. This interaction between nature and past human activity is quite incredible. It was stated on page 112 that a lot of scientists do not study these ecosystem because they think they aren’t worth the trouble. I think this is a serious overlooking of something that needs to be explored more, especially in the world we live in today. With urbanization taking over all around, the “pristine” areas of nature that are so renowned are dwindling. The novel ecosystem is something that will soon be the norm because of all the human activity going on. I think that research of novel ecosystems and how nature “reclaims” these areas are extremely crucial in order to preserve species in years to come.
