invasive species – Page 2 – NPSOT-Williamson County Chapter

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— by Nancy Pumphrey
Our program on October 10, 2019 was an engaging talk by Drs. Robin Doughty and Matt Warnock Turner, co-authors of the book Unnatural Texas? The Invasive Species Dilemma. They spoke of starlings, sparrows and their introduction into the United States. They then went on to pigs, feral felines and then to plants. Of interest was the proliferation of water hyacinths, and how they are clogging up waterways around the world. An interesting unintended consequence is that they actually clean waterways by filtering heavy metals and contaminants when used with control.

We know about the Chinese tallow. But new to me is that the USDA actually encouraged plantings in the ‘60’s as an agricultural crop for oils, fuel and wax products like candles.

Salt cedars were introduced in Galveston to control erosion and make windbreaks, now crowding out salt marshes.

The new threat is the emerald ash borer which was noted in Michigan in 2000 and is now spreading across the US.

More info about Robin’s and Matt’s book can found be at Texas A&M University Press or on Amazon. (Shopping at Amazon Smile? Designate the Native Plant Society of Texas as your nonprofit charitable organization of choice!)

You can see the October 10, 2019 business presentation slides here.

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— by Gary Bowers

Learn about invasive species in Texas, their history, and the issues when Robin Doughty and Matt Warnock Turner present the program topic “Unnatural Texas” at the next NPSOT-Wilco chapter meeting on Thursday, October 10. We meet at the Georgetown Public Library.

In their recently published book, Unnatural Texas? The Invasive Species Dilemma, Robin and Matt investigate the problems posed by so-called invasive species. These non-native plants and animals are increasingly affecting the economic, medical, and ecological health of Texas. Their new book is both a primer and a “think piece.” Drawing upon a representative sample — from across the state and over five centuries — of approximately 20 non-native species (including mammals, birds, fish, insects, mollusks, trees, water plants, and fungi), they introduce readers to Texas’ “big hitters,” discuss a range of arguments for controlling them, and explore how culture and shifting attitudes influence their management.

Robin W. Doughty, a Yorkshire-born Geographer, who received his PhD from University of California Berkeley, has been on the UT faculty for more than 40 years. Robin has a longstanding professional and personal interest in wild animals, environmental change, and conservation. He has authored over 10 books on such subjects as the feather trade, the recovery of the endangered whooping crane, the mockingbird, the purple martin, the armadillo, the eucalyptus tree, and more recently the international steps being made to conserve albatrosses. He continues to travel the world extensively and lecture on physical geography, cultural history, and wildlife.

Matt Warnock Turner, a fifth-generation Texan, is a naturalist, teacher, and free-lance writer who works as a market researcher at UT’s McCombs School of Business. Son of a well-known botanist, he applies his humanities training (PhD in literature from Yale) to enrich our understanding of the plant kingdom around us. He has published both scientific and popular works, including the award-winning, Remarkable Plants of Texas (2009).He’s twice appeared as a guest on PBS’s “Central Texas Gardener” and starred in the PBS documentary, “Wildflowers: Seeds of History.” We welcome Matt back as a returning speaker. Matt presented “Remarkable Plants of Texas” at our January 2015 chapter meeting.

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NPSOT-Williamson County meetings are free and open to the public.

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Tag: invasive species

Program Summary for Oct 10, “Unnatural Texas”

On October 10: “Unnatural Texas” with Robin Doughty and Matt Warnock Turner