"Invasion Biology" - Pitchstone Waters (Page 8)

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"Invasion Biology"

Since the beginning of time, species have spread and contracted their ranges. A variety of factors including weather and climate influenced their spread and movement. Arguably, one of the most important modern factors is human influence.

pronghorn_texas

"Invasion Biology"

Are Wolves the Pronghorn's Best Friend?

Wolf and coyote eradications have exploded coyote numbers across North America. This has increased coyote predation of pronghorn fawns. Coyotes are pronghorns’ most effective predators; wolves will not tolerate coyotes. 150-years of coyote ‘management’ using methods that have proven highly effective with wolves, actually increase coyote populations and range. Coyotes

The Last Cowboy at Pine Creek Ranch

"Invasion Biology"

The Last Cowboy at Pine Creek Ranch

Since its conquest during the Mexican War, more than 50% of the West has belonged to the government, and ranching has been an integral part of Western settlement. The number of ranchers on public lands has fallen by one-fourth since 1970, as agencies, allied with “conservationists” steadily force ranchers off

Restoring Desert Watersheds with Beaver: Back to the Future

"Invasion Biology"

Restoring Desert Watersheds with Beaver: Back to the Future

Beaver reintroductions can help restore damaged watersheds across the desert Southwest. In far-West Texas, the Rio Grande and its tributaries are obvious starting places. Yet, any ranch having a spring or a creek that flows intermittently or seasonally, should consider these four-footed, furry water engineers as a cheap, quick and

desert_beaver_dam

"Invasion Biology"

West Texas Beaver Wetlands: The Historic Record

When European settlers arrived in North America in the 1500s, they found as many as 400 million beavers. These four-footed water engineers had created—and maintained—an estimated 50 million acres of beaver ponds. Beavers populated the Rio Grande and its tributaries. Sadly, their valuable pelts were their undoing. In

retardant_plane_drop

"Invasion Biology"

Needed: A Safer Way to Fight Wildfire

Recently I was touring ranches near Ruidosa, New Mexico, and learned that toxic chemicals contained in fire-retardants like these had washed into their river systems, killing the fisheries which they are now trying to detoxify and restock. For over 100 years we have been using poisonous chemicals on fires, weeds,

california_circle_ranch

"Invasion Biology"

A New Study Suggests That Even The Toughest Pesticide Regulations Aren’t Nearly Tough Enough

“There were 1.6 million new cases of cancer last year, with 580,000 dying of the disease. Farm and industrial chemicals certainly play a major role in this epidemic. Yet little is done, with the poison-makers smugly repeating the myths of safe pesticides and obfuscating the true dangers of

"Invasion Biology"

The Secret Lives of Well-Digging Burros

“Far-West Texas burros are eradicated by state and federal parks & land managers based on the belief that they “compete” with other wildlife for water. In reality – as this Arizona study explains – “it appears that burros are significantly increasing water availability in the desert.” Be sure and watch the video.

wild_horse_australia

"Invasion Biology"

Are North America’s Wild Horses Native?

The fake science of invasive species biology classifies horses as “invasive” “exotics” that “compete” with “natives” to “harm” “ecological systems”. These terms are neither scientifically defined, nor consistently applied. As Dan Flores, author of American Serengeti observes, “Neither paleontology nor molecular genetics lends any support whatsoever to the idea that

Can Livestock Restore Drought-Stricken Grasslands?

"Invasion Biology"

Can Livestock Restore Drought-Stricken Grasslands?

Americans assume our range practices are the most advanced anywhere. Yet these ideas originated in Africa and remain generally unaccepted by American universities and agencies. NOTE: This article excerpt is being republished with permission of thefern.org. It was written by Judith Schwartz and appeared April 12, 2016 Inside a

"Invasion Biology"

Fire May Be the Only Remedy for a Plague Killing Deer and Elk

The noted agronomist and “Father of Soil Fertility” Professor William A. Albrecht said, “We should not fear the aggressive parasite and invader but rather the declining health of their victims.” He said this 80 years before the terms “environmentalism” or “holism” had been coined, in an era when attacks on

"Invasion Biology"

States Confront the Spread of a Deadly Disease in Deer

The creation of CWD – a new wildlife disease – in a Colorado experimental station, and its subsequent spread, proves the adage that “Industrial agronomic principles applied to ecological systems will almost always cause harm.” NOTE: this article is from the NYTimes.com, and was published on January 8th, 2018. The author

chris_gill_circle_ranch_texas

"Invasion Biology"

Rancher Takes an Unconventional Path to Restoring His Land

“Chris Gill, 72, together with his family own Circle Ranch in far-West Texas. He thinks of the desert habitat, its flora and fauna, as a single system.” NOTE: this article was initially posted to ReportingTexas.com on December 12, 2017. It was written by Austin Price, and all photography credits

greening_the_chiuaua_desert

"Invasion Biology"

Greening the Chihuahuan Desert

Chihuahuan ranchers are at the forefront of restorative grazing practices.

gambels_quail_circle_ranch_texas

"Invasion Biology"

Survival of Trans-Pecos Gambel’s Quail

The rapid disappearance of quail across North America, including the iconic Gambel’s Quail, is of great concern and merits study. Objectivity, though, is missing because the universities, agencies and conservation organizations that conduct the research and give advice assume the practices they promote are beneficial for ranches and wildlife.

wild_horses_argentina

"Invasion Biology"

The Hard Truth About the West’s Wild Horse Problem

Horses belong in the Desert Southwest where they and their ancestors co-evolved with wildlife and plants over millions of years. With that said, though, we have a problem. Removing large nomadic grazers as well as most prey and most predators combined with the sincere but misguided prohibition of herd culling

Mexican Grey Wolves Reintroduced

"Invasion Biology"

Mexican Grey Wolves Reintroduced

For almost 20 years, controversy has followed the Mexican Grey wolves as they’ve struggled to survive their reintroduction in Eastern Arizona and Western New Mexico.

Image By FORREST CAVALE

"Invasion Biology"

Soil Power! The Dirty Way to a Green Planet

“People reap more benefit from nature when they give up trying to vanquish it and instead see it clearly, as a demanding but indispensable ally. Because of carbon’s climate change connection, we’ve been conditioned to think of it as the enemy, when in fact it’s as vital

"Invasion Biology"

Jaguars Return to Southern Arizona

In Southern Arizona, the top predator is the mountain lion, but over the last 15 years, solitary male jaguars, typically one at any given time, have migrated from Northern Mexico into Southern Arizona and New Mexico. There is no reason this could not happen in far-West Texas.

"Invasion Biology"

Arizona's Mexican Wolf Restoration Project

See what Arizona Game and Fish and its federal, tribal and private partners are doing to recover the endangered Mexican wolf.

elk_jasper_canada_ian_froome

"Invasion Biology"

Shy Elk and Bold Birds Become Partners in the Wilderness

Complex relationships between species such as birds and grazers are common, but often unrecognized by over-simplified wildlife management theories. As a result, wildlife managers routinely attack species whose interdependence we do not understand. For example, in Texas, tax policy rewards landowners who attempt to eradicate brown-headed cowbirds, a species that

burros_dig_wells_circle_ranch

"Invasion Biology"

Wild Burros Providing Water for Wildlife

In far-West Texas, a coalition of government agencies, agricultural universities and conservation organizations has decided that wild burros on public lands should be eradicated. The coalition based its decision on the belief that what the burros are doing in the video above harms wildlife – especially Desert Bighon Sheep and Desert

Mountain Lions of Far-West Texas

"Invasion Biology"

Mountain Lions of Far-West Texas

Much of what we used to ‘know’ about mountain lions turns out to be wrong, starting with the belief they are a threat to livestock or humans. Lions – and all other predators – are necessary to the health of wildlife and habitat. Note: This amazing video was produced by Yeti in

Book Review: ‘Inheritors of the Earth’ by Chris D. Thomas

"Invasion Biology"

Book Review: ‘Inheritors of the Earth’ by Chris D. Thomas

Here is better way of thinking about so-called invasive species. Ask yourself: How many invasive species have ever been eliminated? How much damage have we done to native plants, animals and our finances trying unsuccessfully to eliminate invasive species? What if, instead of “always trying to defend the losers,” we

"Invasion Biology"

Wolves' Return to Oregon Brings Conflict and Opportunity

Wolves help wildlife and habitat but they also – historically with good cause – terrify many people. Mexican Wolves, the native wolf of far-West Texas, is a small and comparatively harmless relative of the larger northern timber wolves which are the subject of this article. The important distinction between sub-species is lost

milkweed_clothing

"Invasion Biology"

This Winter’s Hot Fashion: Parkas Stuffed With Vermont Weeds

Long attacked with poisons as a noxious invasive, milkweed turns out to be useful. In addition to its value as an organic insulator in clothes, milkweed is essential to the embattled Monarch butterfly and other wild animals. NOTE: This post initially appeared on WSJ.comm on September 27, 2017 New