Aliens

Ecology is a fascinating area of biology, especially in the sin-cursed biosphere (the only one we have ever known). Plants and animals--as well as members of the other kingdoms--get adapted to a particular environment and establish relationships with all the species with which they live, for better or worse. Then someone imports a species from another region, or even another continent, and lets it escape--and a whole ecosystem gets thrown out of whack.

Such is the case with the pictured species, Alliaria petiolata, the infamous Garlic Mustard. Imported from Europe in the 19th century as a culinary and medicinal herb, it escaped (as most imported species seem to do) and has spread across at least two-thirds of the US. It looks harmless enough, but its secret weapons are deadly, not to humans, but to the plant life around it. It crowds out native species, especially the spring woodland wildflowers--and that is only the visible effect of this very prolific invader. Its more insidious attack takes place underground, where its roots exude chemicals that have a deadly effect on a group of organisms we seldom hear of but which are vital to a host of forest tree species. The victims are the mycorrhizal fungi, which form symbiotic relationships with the roots of trees and are essential for their nutrition. So it's not just the pretty spring flowers that suffer, but grown forest trees like oaks and maples.

In other words, Garlic Mustard, once it gets established, can seriously alter and damage an entire forest ecosystem. And once it is established, it is nearly impossible to eradicate. It grows fast, flowers fast, produces seeds fast--and those seeds can remain viable in the ground for up to five years.

Of course, there has to be a theological lesson in there somewhere--Bioman seldom let's you get by without connecting biology with more important things. In this case, I can easily make an analogy of our invasive alien plant to the insidiousness of sin. Unless it is stamped out early and completely, it can infect every area of our lives, both visible and secret. And the result can be disastrous.

Thank God every day that He has provided a way of escape--a wonderful Savior, who came to save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21).