Re: Tropical forest dreams and nightmares

From: "Craig Allen" callen at fairchildgarden.org> on 2001.05.15 at 03:41:29(6456) I work at a botanical garden and I am not under the false impression that any botanical garden anywhere ever housed enough of a species that it could be considered saved. With out some genetic diversity within a species it is doomed. That can only really happen in a natural habitat. Even the species our Garden works on saving are meant to be returned to the wild. Saving a habitat is the real hope. Craig Allen +More Fairchild Tropical Garden ----- Original Message ----- To: "Multiple recipients of list AROID-L" Sent: Monday, May 14, 2001 7:52 PM Subject: Re: Tropical forest dreams and nightmares > While "saving" individual plants from destruction it does have a very serious > impact in some circumstances. There have been instances on Long Island where > developments have gone forward on sites with rare organisms (in this case > salamanders) because of wonderful scientists ability to collect and "save" > them. There are surely better examples than this on but it is an issue. > Congressman Don Young of Alaska (R), tried in 1997, 1998, and 2000, to amend > the Endangered Species act to essentially allow destruction of areas > protected by the act if these rare plants and animals could be kept in > botanic gardens and zoos. As absurd as that sounds, it will become a more > common belief worldwide, and the public just might buy it! > > Eric C Morgan > Clark Botanic Garden >

Note: this is a very old post, so no reply function is available.