Originally Posted by qanda (Post 4607309)

I never said I was affiliated with a university. But in the interest of transparency, I will say I am a university student working on creating a website about the importance of biodiversity in Alberta's ecosystems. This project is not part of a scientific or ecological study. I do not receive funding from anyone. The resources I use are contributed by myself or by the two other students working with me on this project. My particular interest is the role "balance" plays in an ecosystem, and through the filming, I am looking to understand how invasive species can upset that balance.

Sorry for any confusion.

Like I said, I am open to suggestions on this topic. I hope to find potential resources or people I should speak to who are affected when this balance is disturbed. They need to be accessible enough that I can collect audio and video. But mostly I wanted to hear what outdoorsmen think is important in this balance and what you all would like to see explored. I hope this clarifies things a bit.
Does anyone have any stories they could tell me about this? Or issues they would like to see investigated or discussed?

Originally Posted by walking buffalo (Post 4607375)

There is no factual proof to the theory of equilibrium in Nature, with or without the existence of humans.
Nature doesn't care if one species is more successful than another.
Nature just Is, whether stationary or moving.

I'll suggest that you are unnecessarily complicating this endeavor.
Keep Disney (balance of Nature) out of it and focus on a manageable segment, the impact and effect of Invasive species in Alberta.
This alone could take a lifetime to investigate.


I'm curious, where did you learn that Nature desires to be in balance,
that this equilibrium is good and flux is bad?

Best wishes for your project.

Originally Posted by Savage Bacon (Post 4607428)

How about the honeybee?

I believe there would be a few more honeybees than horses and hogs put together.

I think this might be one that most people wouldn't want to get rid of.

Try talking to local farmers to get their opinions on them and their uses. They are a huge benefit to crop production.




Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Smoky buck (Post 4607431)

Could add a long list of common invasives that the government stocks every year for fish as well

Rainbow, browns, tigers, and brook trout to start

The funny thing is we pick and choose what invasive species are good or bad lol

Originally Posted by Dick284 (Post 4607435)

^Yup^

Even whitetail deer are technically invasive to Alberta……

Originally Posted by Dick284 (Post 4607435)

^Yup^

Even whitetail deer are technically invasive to Alberta……

Originally Posted by qanda (Post 4607309)

I never said I was affiliated with a university. But in the interest of transparency, I will say I am a university student working on creating a website about the importance of biodiversity in Alberta's ecosystems. This project is not part of a scientific or ecological study. I do not receive funding from anyone. The resources I use are contributed by myself or by the two other students working with me on this project. My particular interest is the role "balance" plays in an ecosystem, and through the filming, I am looking to understand how invasive species can upset that balance.

Sorry for any confusion.

Like I said, I am open to suggestions on this topic. I hope to find potential resources or people I should speak to who are affected when this balance is disturbed. They need to be accessible enough that I can collect audio and video. But mostly I wanted to hear what outdoorsmen think is important in this balance and what you all would like to see explored. I hope this clarifies things a bit.
Does anyone have any stories they could tell me about this? Or issues they would like to see investigated or discussed?

Originally Posted by sns2 (Post 4607415)

Qanda, if you would have been more transparent in your first post, you would have gotten a much better reaction. We have many people who are against enjoyment of the outdoors through hunting and fishing, come and join this forum, so they can get “dirt” on us outdoorsmen to further their cause, which is to destroy ours. Transparency is always good.

BTW, your thesis is too broad. Balance in nature. Narrow it down, and it will be easier for you to get a good mark.

Originally Posted by walking buffalo (Post 4607466)

Whitetailed deer are native to Alberta.

Perhaps what you are misconstruing is the recent range expansion of this species due to human activities when compared to pre-1900..
And this perspective is only applicable when limited to a specific timeline.
Go back farther than written history and Whitetails at times ranged all over Alberta.

It is believed that Whitetailed deer evolved from Blacktailed deer.
Blacktailed deer did not inhabit the plains or east to the Atlantic.
So unless Aliens or Indians transplanted Whitetails to the east coast, these deer are Native to almost all of North America.

Whitetailed deer range expansion and contraction can be taken as yet another example of how Nature is always in constant flux, that "Balance" in Nature is a false human construct typically derived from a desire to feel good.

Originally Posted by huntinstuff (Post 4606999)

This.

You want to envoke every argument, delusion, romance, science, fact and fiction? This is your topic. It's real, it's an issue and it's all there for you.

Originally Posted by sns2 (Post 4607415)

Qanda, if you would have been more transparent in your first post, you would have gotten a much better reaction. We have many people who are against enjoyment of the outdoors through hunting and fishing, come and join this forum, so they can get “dirt” on us outdoorsmen to further their cause, which is to destroy ours. Transparency is always good.

BTW, your thesis is too broad. Balance in nature. Narrow it down, and it will be easier for you to get a good mark.