What does it mean that target species don't get wiped out

[Roger C. KENDRICK]

Paul Cherubini wrote:

> Pat Foley wrote:
>
> > The risk to some non-target species of Bt may be substantial, well worth
> > investigating.
>
> That is why I ask everyone this question: After decades of Bt use in
> forests and cropland, have there been any cases (published in Journals)
> of non-target lep populations being wiped out or seriously impacted for
> a long time period following the spraying?
>
> > (there are thousands of
> > vulnerable lepidopteran species within range of corn and other engineered
> > plants, not just the Monarch).
>
> Ditto in the case of spraying forests for gypsy moths. There has thus
> been ample time over the past decades to document the devastating long
> term impacts of Bt use in forests (if there have been any such cases) on
> non-target leps. So again, have there been any cases (published in
> Journals) of non-target lep populations being wiped out or seriously
> impacted for a long time period following the spraying?

Just a thought - how do we know if the species still around post DDT & Co.
haven't already somekind of increased resistance; those species with less
resistance having been "weeded out" by the pesticide use immediately post WW2
??
Point is - what's the baseline?

Roger.


--
Roger C. KENDRICK
  Demonstrator / Ph.D. Student
  Dept. of Ecology & Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong
  mailto:kendrick at hkusua.hku.hk

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