Why the Great Plains May Soon Host Elephants

[Exquisitor]

Why the Great Plains May Soon Host Elephants:

MSN

www.msn.com

Would be cool, but I'm waiting for the wooly mammoths.

Just think how much wool you could get off a sheep that big, throw in a few extra genes if you have to.

Elephants maintain grasslands and of course fertilize.

Would do a lot for a sustainable ecosystem.

 

[longview]

Why the Great Plains May Soon Host Elephants:

MSN

www.msn.com

Would be cool, but I'm waiting for the wooly mammoths.

Just think how much wool you could get off a sheep that big, throw in a few extra genes if you have to.

Elephants maintain grasslands and of course fertilize.

Would do a lot for a sustainable ecosystem.

I believe pachyderms went extinct because the habitat changed. There were simply too many of them for us to eaten them all.

 

[Allan]

I believe pachyderms went extinct because the habitat changed. There were simply too many of them for us to eaten them all.

Pachyderms are not extinct.

 

[Lursa]

Why the Great Plains May Soon Host Elephants:

MSN

www.msn.com

Would be cool, but I'm waiting for the wooly mammoths.

Just think how much wool you could get off a sheep that big, throw in a few extra genes if you have to.

Elephants maintain grasslands and of course fertilize.

Would do a lot for a sustainable ecosystem.

Where are the scientific proposals to introduce elephants to US ecosystems?

 

[Michael Cole]

Why the Great Plains May Soon Host Elephants:

MSN

www.msn.com

Would be cool, but I'm waiting for the wooly mammoths.

Just think how much wool you could get off a sheep that big, throw in a few extra genes if you have to.

Elephants maintain grasslands and of course fertilize.

Would do a lot for a sustainable ecosystem.

Interesting. I'm not so much concerned with the ethics as I am with elephants being endangered. And ethically, we won't have to fight off poachers in the Plains States. If this would increase their numbers, I'm all for it.

We already brought the horse back, though we didn't know it was gone at the time.

The idea of reintroducing fauna that have been eradicated by man seems a little strange. Wolves in Yellowstone is one thing, but there were herds of untold millions of buffalo when Europeans arrived. If we could bring back buffalo, ground, for less than $10 lb., I would support that.

 

[Loulit01]

Craziness. It's impossible to predict all the ways introducing non-native species will impact the ecosystem.

Introduced species, when they become invasive, can cause significant harm to ecosystems, native species, and even human health. These non-native organisms can disrupt food webs, outcompete native species for resources, alter habitats, and even introduce diseases. Invasive species are a major factor in biodiversity loss and can have substantial economic impacts.

• Burmese pythons in the Everglades: These non-native snakes prey on native mammals and birds, impacting the ecosystem.
  
  
• Zebra and quagga mussels in the Great Lakes: These mussels clog water intakes, disrupt fisheries, and impact the food web.
  
  
• Asian tiger mosquito: This mosquito spreads diseases like West Nile virus and Dengue fever.
  
  
• Kudzu: This vine can quickly cover trees and other plants, altering habitats.

 

[Loulit01]

Interesting. I'm not so much concerned with the ethics as I am with elephants being endangered. And ethically, we won't have to fight off poachers in the Plains States. If this would increase their numbers, I'm all for it.

We already brought the horse back, though we didn't know it was gone at the time.

The idea of reintroducing fauna that have been eradicated by man seems a little strange. Wolves in Yellowstone is one thing, but there were herds of untold millions of buffalo when Europeans arrived. If we could bring back buffalo, ground, for less than $10 lb., I would support that.

Your examples are reintroductions of species native to the respective regions. Elephants are a horse of a different color.

 

[Michael Cole]

Your examples are reintroductions of species native to the respective regions. Elephants are a horse of a different color.

Indeed.

I'm amused at the suggestion of using the Plains States. It's all private land. Wheat and corn for hundreds of miles. The Dakotas produce soybeans. Maybe the elephants can eat all the crops that China won't buy.

If we're really gonna get serious, these guys, used for wildfire control...



...would be replaced by these guys, who live in the mountains in the back.

Interesting that the Basque sheepherders of the 19th century grazed their flocks alongside the native species.

Anyway, elephants in Sioux Falls. I'm in.

 

[longview]

Pachyderms are not extinct.

They are in North America.