Win-Win Ecology : How the Earth's Species Can Survive in the Midst of Human Enterprise

As humanity presses down inexorably on the natural world, people debate the extent to which we can save the Earth's millions of different species without sacrificing human economic welfare. But is this argument wise? Must the human and natural worlds be adversaries? In this book, ecologist Michael Rosenzweig finds that ecological science actually rejects such polarization. Instead it suggests that, to be successful, conservation must discover how we can blend a rich natural world into the world of economic activity. This revolutionary, common ground between development and conservation is called reconciliation ecology: creating and maintaining species-friendly habitats in the very places where people live, work, or play. The book offers many inspiring examples of the good results already achieved. The Nature Conservancy, for instance, has a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense, with more than 200 conservation projects taking place on more than 170 bases in 41 states. In places such as Elgin Air Force Base, the human uses-testing munitions, profitable timbering and recreation--continue, but populations of several threatened species on the base, such as the long-leaf pine and the red-cockaded woodpecker, have been greatly improved. The Safe Harbor strategy of the Fish & Wildlife Service encourages private landowners to improve their property for endangered species, thus overcoming the unintended negative aspects of the Endangered Species Act. And Golden Gate Park, which began as a system of sand dunes, has become, through human effort, a world of ponds and shrubs, waterfowl and trees. Rosenzweig shows that reconciliation ecology is the missing tool of conservation, the practical, scientifically based approach that, when added to the rest, will solve the problem of preserving Earth's species. Contents......Page 8 Preamble......Page 10 CHAPTER 1 Reconciliation Ecology......Page 14 CHAPTER 2 Landscape Architecture for the Third Millennium......Page 24 CHAPTER 3 Prometheus in the Pinelands......Page 40 CHAPTER 4 Making Money......Page 52 CHAPTER 5 Hidden Costs......Page 68 A Personal Witness......Page 78 CHAPTER 6 Hard-Core Reconciliation......Page 82 CHAPTER 7 Happy Accidents......Page 98 CHAPTER 8 The Tyranny of Space......Page 114 CHAPTER 9 Falling Down the Time Shaft: The Case of the Incredible Shrinking Planet......Page 140 CHAPTER 10 Fighting for Crumbs: The Traditional Forms of Biological Conservation......Page 156 CHAPTER 11 Extinction Happens......Page 166 CHAPTER 12 Clearing Hurdles......Page 178 Notes......Page 196 Acknowledgments......Page 206 Illustration Sources......Page 207 A......Page 208 B......Page 209 C......Page 210 D......Page 212 E......Page 213 G......Page 214 H......Page 215 K......Page 216 M......Page 217 N......Page 218 P......Page 219 R......Page 220 S......Page 221 W......Page 223 Z......Page 224 "In thoughtful and elegant prose, peppered with humor and bits of philosophy, Rosenzweig presents...a hopeful, fresh vision.... The book is a wonderful source of motivation and inspiration, entertaining and thought-provoking for lay and professional audiences alike. Even the most skeptical readers will likely be convinced of the need to rethink conservation strategy."
--Science Must the human and natural worlds be adversaries? This book, by an ecologist, finds that ecological science actually rejects such polarization. It shows that reconciliation ecology is the missing tool of conservation, the practical, scientifically based approach that, when added to the rest, will solve the problem of preserving Earth's species. Today's dominant strategy of conservation biology is reservation ecology: save the Earth's natural habitats.