| Description |
1 online resource (xi, 237 pages) |
| Contents |
Why it matters -- Of what purpose are mosquitoes? -- Creating paradigms -- Ecology B.C. ("Before Charles") -- Ecology A.D. ("After Darwin") -- The twentieth century : ecology comes of age -- A visit to Bodie : ecological space and time -- Ecology and evolution : process and paradigm -- Be glad to be an earthling -- Life plays the lottery -- Why global climate is like New England weather -- Taking it from the top or the bottom -- For the love of biodiversity (and stable ecosystems?) -- Facing Marley's ghost |
| Summary |
The idea of a balance of nature has been a dominant part of Western philosophy since before Aristotle, and it persists in the public imagination and even among some ecologists today. In this lively and thought-provoking book, John Kricher demonstrates that nature in fact is not in balance, nor has it ever been at any stage in Earth's history. He explains how and why this notion of a natural world in balance has endured for so long, and he shows why, in these times of extraordinary human influence on the planet's ecosystems, it is critical that we accept and understand that evolution is a fact |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 209-227) and index |
| Notes |
Print version record |
| Subject |
Ecology -- History
|
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Ecology -- Philosophy.
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Philosophy of nature.
|
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SCIENCE -- Environmental Science (see also Chemistry -- Environmental)
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NATURE -- Ecosystems & Habitats -- Wilderness.
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NATURE -- Ecology.
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SCIENCE -- Life Sciences -- Ecology.
|
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SCIENCE -- Life Sciences -- Evolution.
|
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Ecology
|
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Ecology -- Philosophy
|
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Philosophy of nature
|
| Genre/Form |
History
|
| Form |
Electronic book
|
| ISBN |
9781400830268 |
|
1400830265 |
|
1282158791 |
|
9781282158795 |
|
