Chance and Change: Ecology for Conservationists

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 209 pages
• Published by: University of California Press
• Edition: 1st Edition June 21, 1998
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0520211553
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0520211551
• Book Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 1.2 pounds

Product Review
Most politically active environmentalists, writes the late biologist William Drury, have at least some knowledge of equilibrium theory, "the characteristic ecology taught in introductory textbooks" through which the so-called balance of nature is explained. Believing that this theory, if oversimplified, can lead to doctrinaire reactions (the view, for example, that human economic development is necessarily harmful to the environment), Drury proposes a more complex understanding of nature that takes into account chance and change, and that recognizes that "natural disturbance is too frequent for equilibrium models to be useful." Discussing notions such as microcosm versus macrocosm, the great chain of being, and succession, Drury offers a vigorous textbook that deepens our understanding of how the world works. --Gregory McNamee

From Library Journal
Writing for both the amateur naturalist and the professional conservationist, Drury challenges traditional ecological theories with the argument that nature is not the result of a grand design. He argues instead that the natural world is a result of chance, disorder, and unpredictability. According to Drury, the theory that nature progresses toward a state of equilibrium through a series of steps contradicts the Darwinian principle of natural selection. With his background in botany, geology, and zoology, Drury demonstrates the interdisciplinary nature of ecology as he explores the effect of geological, physical, and biological processes on the landscape. Using the coasts, salt marshes, and forests as his laboratory, he argues that we are not on the verge of environmental collapse. His work reveals a lifetime of research, which is evident as he compares "what ought to be," according to historical ecological thought, with "what is" based on his observations. His impact on the discipline has been so considerable that others finished the manuscript of this book after his death. The result is a thought-provoking work. Highly recommended for all academic libraries.ATeresa Berry, Univ. of Tennessee Lib., Knoxville
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.