Posted by giveawayboy on September 06, 2002 at 08:51:54:
In Reply to: reply to Kat & Metal posted by john on September 06, 2002 at 06:04:54:
.....the real reason is that I have an invasive species of frog around my house that is outcompeting the native species and actually eating them. So my question still stands: do I follow the mechanistic view of nature and control the populations of invasive frogs to protect the native species because humans messed up the ecosystem in the first place or do I respect the right of those other frogs to exist and let them extripate (kill off in a local area) all of the native frogs from my swamp?
: I really welcome your response, but know that this is not an easy issue even if it seems like it at first glance. It is a true ethical dilemma that exists in real world conditions, so please, no trite answers.
I haven't responded to this for the very reason of not wanting to sound trite. Yesterday I was talking to someone about two things, the relationship of Europeans with Native Americans and also the Crusades. In each case there were many complex issues involved and it wasn't just a case of angelic groups against demonic groups. Also, we were discussing how the South has produced such great novelists, like Walker Percy, Flannery O'Connor, etc. Someone has said it is because the South suffered in the Civil War and was therefore more aware of failure and pain and could produce a better novelist. More awareness of it's own weakness and humanity. While the North for the most part was lost in comfort and perhaps did not have the same awareness of it's own weakness and humanity. Not that regions have moral consciences, but that perhaps there was a spirit or condition of life in the South that could produce a better novel. Anyway, these are only thoughts. And I'm not even sure who said it, but my point was that no issue is static. There are lots of angles to each one. I am still wondering about the monk parrakeets outside my windows. Part of me feels that they are a nuisance to the normal way of life here, the normal web of South Tampa, but then again, I feel like they are a fine new addition. And, in a sense the threat they pose is already realized. I mean, they are not simply breezing through. they have nested. They are settled into homes they have built with OUR twigs. Their songs fill OUR air each day. I sometimes wonder if their invasion is just one more part of the cyclical nature of things. Anyway, I prefer them. I'm not sure if I would like it as much if we had some other species of parrot here and they were coming in and eating them off however. It's all a very tedious business.
If I get some insight into this I will give you some feedback.
Bill
P.S. I know 'Anura' is not a GENUS designation but actually the ORDER of frogs, but it's because I can't be specific enough unless I know about the frog in question. Have you identified each frog? I'd love to know more about it. There are possibly websites about this invasice species on the net.