Re: poaching and habitat destruction

Michael.Chamberland (23274MJC@MSU.EDU)
Tue, 09 Apr 96 20:49 EDT

> > saying that we shouldn't worry about poaching because
> > habitat destruction is far more of a problem is like saying we shouldn't
> > worry about AIDS because a lot more people die of heart attacks or cancer.
>
> I didn't mean to come across that way. But if the vast majority of
> plant loss is due to development, and a small minority due to poaching,
> I'd hope we would spend the majority of our time trying to deal with the
> larger cause of the problem.

I'd say the larger cause of the problem is global human overpopulation. :-)

Many of us are not in the best position to take on the developers. However,
CP hobbyists are primary consumers of rare CP, and so we have a role in
the economic success or failure of poachers. Several people have commented
here that plants tend to be in higher demand proportional to their rarity.
I think the psychology of this is worth exploring. After many years of plant
growing I have become disgusted with the near hysteria over cool & rare
plants like Nepenthes rajah, Aztekium spp., exotic orchids, etc... and I
now reject the gross attraction of these plants. If that means I've been
turned away from the hobby, so be it. I don't want to be part of the swarm
lusting over N. rajah and N. villosa and frustrated over over the inability
to own one of these over-sought plants. I'd much rather be an individual
going my own way and exploring the wonders of aquatic Utricularia! Oh, and
has anyone noticed how fascinating common grass flowers can be when observed
under a microscope?

Michael Chamberland