Are there benefits?
I don't want to leave the impression for a minute that the things that we have moved around the Earth consciously have not been to society's benefit. Many people depend on the crops that we brought in and the fruit trees and we love the beauty of the plants that we have imported. There are many things which are very important to us and have enabled society to develop. A South African botanist said, "Well this (unwanted invaders) is just a tax that we have to pay for these amenities, that some of these things will get away and get out of control, that's just a tax." That's one view. We've had many useful introductions, not only for food plants but for controlling other organisms -- bio-control, such as the use of a moth species in Australia to control the prickly pair cactus. It's very important.
How you view a particular invasive species may depend on how you earn your living. One of my favorite examples is Echium plantagineum, which grows in Australia. It's an invasive species. It's quite beautiful, actually. The cattle ranchers, call it Patterson's Curse, because it devalues the grazing potential of their land. For the beekeepers, the same invasive species is called Salvation Jane because it's a wonderful source of honey for the bees. So, it's a societal interpretation.
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