Direct and Indirect Effects of Humans on Native Species

Join us and UBC Professor Dr. Peter Arcese for a discussion of the ecological impacts of exotic herbivores in the Southern Gulf Islands.

For those who missed this event. A recording can be found here: https://vimeo.com/528948808

“The deleterious impacts of humans on native species are often attributed to the conversion of natural habitat for the production of food and fiber. However, despite having many undeveloped and protected areas in the Gulf and San Juan Islands, many iconic plant species relied on for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples are now rare and threatened with extinction.  As a consequence, we now understand that the cessation of traditional stewardship and imposition of ‘modern’ management practices including predator control and hunting bans have decimated native plant and bird populations by facilitating invasive and exotic species. I will review some of the alarming changes in plant and animal communities that have taken place in the Gulf and San Juan Islands over the last 3 centuries, focusing on the modern-day activities which negate the value of parks and undeveloped habitats for the protection of many rare and endangered species. I argue in particular that the active management of invasive and exotic herbivores is urgently required if we are to prevent the extinction of many native plants and animals that once defined our region.”
-Dr. Peter Arcese