15 



landscape ornamental use because, as I said, there are hundreds 

 of species that are available to them. 



One thing I want to make perfectly clear is that not all exotic 

 plants are bad, and I do not want that impression going out that 

 we are looking at — that there is some environmental purity here. 

 Most exotics are not invasive in the natural environment. But the 

 ones that are invasive, they are eating our lunch, especially, in 

 Florida, and we need to do something about it. We need to screen 

 them, screen some of these in the future for their potential 

 invasiveness. 



Senator Akaka. Dr. Singletary, do you have a comment? 



Mr. Singletary. Yes, sir, and thank you. You mentioned specifi- 

 cally purple loosestrife. I would like to cite for you the example of 

 what is being done in North Carolina relative to that species. We 

 do not have populations of it to the extent that a lot of our North- 

 em neighbors do, but it is established in North Carolina, and we 

 have undertaken an eradication program because it is of a limited 

 acreage in the State. We have had very good cooperation from the 

 nursery industry and garden clubs and the home-owning public 

 once the facts are laid out. Sure, there is some resistance, but 

 through educational efforts we have been able to move forward 

 with this approach. 



These are some of the kinds of things that have to be done with 

 these kinds of species, and what I am saying is it can be done if 

 it is approached in the right fashion, and particularly where you 

 have got limited populations of something, like the example I give 

 you in North Carolina. 



Senator Akaka. Mr. Schmitz, your testimony stressed that the 

 unrestricted spread of alien species would destroy our country's 

 rich biodiversity and that most Americans are unaware of the re- 

 sultant ecological damage. You just mentioned the possibility of re- 

 viewing some of these tropical introductions for possible damages 

 to our environment. 



I will also mention that many are unable to equate alien species 

 invasion with a change in their lifestyle, to which you also referred. 

 My question to you is: How can we draw attention of this issue to 

 the citizens of this country? 



Mr. Schmitz. That is a good question. I think the OTA report 

 has certainly brought it together, at least for a lot of resource man- 

 agers. This problem is not even well known or has not been well 

 known even by resource managers. We have run into resistance by 

 people who should know. However, the word is getting out. 



It is only during the past 10 to 12 years that scientists have 

 identified the problems caused by invasions of alien plant and ani- 

 m£d species and how they are changing, and in many cases det- 

 rimentally changing the ecosystems. 



I think the problem basically is the concept of an ecosystem. I 

 think most of the public is not aware of what an ecosystem is, so 

 they cannot recognize ecosystem damage. I will even give you an 

 example. 



I guess it was 9 years ago I was down in Miami, and we were 

 regulating the aquarium plant stores down there. We were trying 

 to prevent the introduction of a new species, like another hydrilla, 

 into Florida's waterways. Now, I have a master's of science degree 



