myrmepropagandistMar 2, 2025

I have this odd kind of admiration for the truly terrible invasive species. "Invasives" turn all of the things that make human activities hostile to nature into their advantages. There is something delightfully subversive about it.

Although, I still study them in hopes of protecting the wild diversity that they can destroy. When you dig into some of the things they have done to be successful a little awe is only natural.

Show threadllewelly
@futurebird I feel the same. Invasive species often are able to be invasive because they can live in human-disturbed environments that are difficult or impossible for many former native species. (The podcast Herp Highlights covers this frequently, because it's often difficult to get research money for (non-bird) reptiles and amphibians that aren't invasives. Similarly, the podcast arthro-pod covers invasives because the same applies to insects. )
Mar 3, 2025 at 10:16amWeb
Show threadmyrmepropagandistMar 3, 2025

@llewelly

It rankles me that research money for arthropods is only focused on getting rid of them so much of the time. But, I still like the research, often the things learned apply more widely.

Show threadllewellyMar 3, 2025
@futurebird
there's a similar issue in invertebrate (and also conodont) paleontology; much of the support for it is connected, in one degree or another, to its usefulness in biostratigraphy, and in turn, biostratigraphy's use in mining, especially fossil fuels.