Biodiversity and Immigration

Water

Depending on the circumstances, you could drink a gallon of water over the course of one day, and it would be good for you. If you're hot, or worked a lot, taken over the course of many hours, it's refreshing and your body needs it.

However, if you drink a gallon of water in a few minutes you'll die.

More on drinking too much water.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity describes the range of plant and animal life in an area.

Lots of biodiversity, like in a rain forest, means exciting discoveries of nature.

A complex web of life can sustain damage and recover because of the multitude of variations, and food sources, within it.

Monoculture

On the other end of biodiversity is what folks call a monoculture. A monoculture is an area where there is not much diversity. For example there may be just a few kinds of grasses, or a few kinds of trees, or a few kinds of insects or animals.

If something devastates one aspect of the ecosystem, the whole system is at risk and can suffer enormously, or die, because the food chain is broken.

Monocultures can benefit from the influx of new species. However, it's generally recognized as best if the existing, "native", species aren't driven out or killed by the newcomers.

For this to work best, the migrating species need to be introduced slowly over time, to weave themselves in to the existing web of life, and not trample it or replace it.

[As an aside I should note it's also possible for the web of life to expand, not only through migration, but also due to mutation from within. A plant or animal in an area of low diversity could mutate to take on a new role its parents and siblings do not perform, and thus add some beneficial complexity.]

What is the Point?

All of this is to lay the logical ground work on human migration. Societies can benefit from the introduction of new ideas, new genes, new faces. But when a location is flooded, unchecked, with new people, it's very disruptive.

Ask the American Indians how they felt about being flooded with Europeans. Of course there will be a range of answers, but I bet most were very unhappy with it.

Nearly every culture likes trading partners. It's a way to taste new fruits and vegetables, new spices, see new animals and plants, and hear others' stories and more. And it's a way of getting rid of excess stuff. But to be invaded is generally not liked.

There are reasons countries limit the number of people entering them. There are reasons countries want to know the identities of people who want to move in and live within its borders.

There are reasons countries like China and Sweden have instituted limits on the number of children a woman can bear.

Human immigration can be a very good thing. Unchecked human immigration is often a very bad thing. Illegal human immigration, by definition, is a bad thing.

If someone broke in to your house, how would you like it if the government told you the invader had to stay?

You're making a mistake if you think I'm only talking about illegal immigrants in the United States. Too many of our high and mighty companies have, in essence, invaded other countries, aligned themselves with the rich and powerful, and government officials, then exploited their land and/or people.