Discussion
Non-native species can take a beating. Many people argue that they are invasive, bring pests and crowd out native plants. The Mango, a species from south east Asia, is commonly found in Costa Rica but only in places people are. People either willingly plant them around their property or leave the seeds after enjoying the fruit. Mangos are so intergrated into Costa Rica that many visitors do not realize that this plant is not native.
Unlike the non-native English Ivy and Scotch Broom of Washington State, the Mango appears to have a positive impact in Costa Rica. Costa Rica depends partially on agriculture as a means of fueling the economy. The growing popularity of the Mango to Europians and Americans has caused the export of Mangos to rise 40% in the year 2004 according to InsideCostaRica.com. Export rates of Mangos are expected to continue to rise. Economically, this non-native species makes sense.
How do Mango trees affect the local flora and fauna? There seems to be little problem with Mangos running rampant in the rainforest, crushing out other plants. As Tom McDonald said, "You can hike for hours in undisturbed forest and never find a Mango tree." According to Jack Ewing, author of Monkeys are Made of Chocolate, tapirs, agouti and paca all have been reported feasting on Mangos.
