naturally occurring, either presently or historically, in any ecosystem
This sounds more like a literal definition of volunteer plants. If a seed blows away from a garden and sprouts, did it do so "naturally" without human intervention?
Naturally means without human input.
Does that not imply that humans are not part of nature?
Don't history and evolutionary observations teach us that things are always changing? If it's natural for things to change, would it be unnatural to try to interfere?
I'm not sure I subscribe to the premise that Europeans were the first to move plants around, or that only the plant moves caused by Europeans are those which determine a plants' heritage. Was there a particular day in the past when nature's ideal manifested, if things are always changing?
https://www.scientificamerican...
I can't understand the borders of the ecosystems, or how far a plant needs to move to be described as non-native to that spot. How was it determined that a particular plant did not exist in a particular spot before a particular day?
https://beta.nsf.gov/news/anci....
I understand the concept of native plants, but I've never been able to pin it down. It does sound simple on the surface, but so many questions develop upon additional consideration. There are so many underlying premises and assumptions. When investigating anything, examining the foundational principles is always a sound practice. If any of that is weak, the conclusions drawn inherit the weakness. Are there weaknesses in the concept of native plants? IDK. I just have a lot of questions. I can't move on and fully accept the concept without more info.
