#exoticspecies

What makes a native species better than a non-native? We have come to accept this ‘truth’ as definite and few dare to challenge it. It is probably the fact that the average person does not have the knowledge required to disprove these claims that a native species have environmental advantages over their exotic counterparts. Or perhaps the benefits of native species are just more convincing when placed next to the meager line of benefits posed by exotic species.

I found the chapter in The Rambunctious Garden that touches upon this idea, to be quite interesting in that it defies the posited statements that put natives over non-natives all the time. Some exotic species, as presented in the reading, can even be helpful, so I think this shows there is room for learning and for challenging ourselves to resolve current issues by making the best use of what is available. Whether the vegetation or animals are native or foreign, if well managed they can both be beneficial.