DOCSLIB.ORG

Shaping Ecology: the Life of Arthur Tansley

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Shaping Ecology: the Life of Arthur Tansley Ayres Arthur Tansley turned the old plant geography into the new science of ecology, teaching botanists to look at vegetation rather than individual plant species. He recognised S ha that vegetation is continuously changing and how, especially in the British islands, it is influenced by man’s activities. Safeguarding wild places from the pressures of agriculture p and industry would demand, he argued, not sterile preservation but active conservation in within nature reserves – places where the principles of ecology could be applied to the scientific management of plants and animals. g Ecology: Author of a best-selling book on psychology, and a respected philosopher, Tansley was no mere academic. He used his authority and political skills to achieve practical results, such as the foundation of the Nature Conservancy, of which he was the first Chairman. In the ecological principles he laid out, most notably the ecosystem, he left an invaluable legacy for ecologists and conservationists worldwide. The Life of Arthur of Tansley Life The Peter Ayres was taught by, or worked with, several of Tansley’s closest friends. He was for seven years Executive Editor of the New Phytologist, the journal founded by Tansley. After a career teaching plant physiology and pathology at Lancaster University, his interest in the history of plant sciences has led him to write Harry Marshall Ward and the Fungal Thread of Death and The Aliveness of Plants: The Darwins at the Dawn of Plant Science. Cover image: Chalk Paths by Ravilious, Eric (1903-42). Private Collection/The Bridgeman Art Library. Cover design by Design Deluxe Shaping Ecology The Life of Arthur Tansley Peter Ayres fffirs.inddfirs.indd iiii 22/3/2012/3/2012 99:30:22:30:22 PPMM S h a p i n g E c o l o g y fffirs.inddfirs.indd i 22/3/2012/3/2012 99:30:22:30:22 PPMM fffirs.inddfirs.indd iiii 22/3/2012/3/2012 99:30:22:30:22 PPMM Shaping Ecology: The Life of Arthur Tansley Peter Ayres A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication fffirs.inddfirs.indd iiiiii 22/3/2012/3/2012 99:30:22:30:22 PPMM This edition first published 2012 © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Wiley-Blackwell is an imprint of John Wiley & Sons, formed by the merger of Wiley ’ s global Scientific, Technical and Medical business with Blackwell Publishing. Registered Office John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK Editorial Offices 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, USA For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell . The right of the author to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ayres, P. G. (Peter G.) Shaping ecology : the life of Arthur Tansley / Peter Ayres. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-470-67156-6 (hardcover) – ISBN 978-0-470-67154-2 (pbk.) 1. Tansley, A. G. (Arthur George), Sir, 1871–1955. 2. Tansley, A. G. (Arthur George), Sir, 1871–1955–Political and social views. 3. Ecologists–Great Britain–Biography. 4. Botanists–Great Britain–Biography. 5. Ecology–Great Britain–History. 6. Nature conservation–Great Britain–History. 7. Natural areas– Great Britain–History. 8. Nature Conservancy (Great Britain)–History. 9. Field Studies Council (Great Britain)–History. 10. Great Britain–Environmental conditions. I. Title. QH31.T37A87 2012 577.09–dc23 2011040963 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Set in 10/12.5pt Minion by SPi Publisher Services, Pondicherry, India 1 2012 fffirs.inddfirs.indd iivv 22/3/2012/3/2012 99:30:22:30:22 PPMM C o n t e n t s List of Figures vi Foreword viii Preface and Acknowledgements x 1 Kingley Vale: Worth Fighting For 1 2 The Origins of Ecology 15 3 George Tansley, Christian Socialism, and the Working Men ’ s College 20 4 Highgate School, University College, London, and Trinity College, Cambridge 38 5 Teaching at University College, the Chicks, and Marriage to Edith 48 6 Seashores and Woodlands: Looking for Patterns 60 7 The Managing Director of British Ecology 80 8 Disillusion and Disaffection 101 9 The Oxford Years, 1927–1937 122 10 The Magnum Opus, Grantchester, and Retirement 144 11 The Years of Fulfilment, 1937–1953 155 12 A Detached Liberal Philosopher and Free-thinker 179 References 198 Index 206 fftoc.inddtoc.indd v 22/3/2012/3/2012 99:27:31:27:31 PPMM F i g u r e s Cover illustration ‘Chalk paths’ by Eric Ravilious (1903–1942). Much of Ravilious’ work was inspired by the South Downs. (By permission of the Towner Museum, Eastbourne, and DACS (2011).) Preface illustration Arthur Tansley photographed during the 1930s when he was Sherardian Professor of Botany at the University of Oxford. xii Figure 1.1 Ancient yews at Kingley Vale. 2 Figure 1.2 The bookplate designed by Arthur Tansley. 4 Figure 1.3 Harry Godwin, top left, and F. F. ‘Fritz’ Blackman, top right; Frank Oliver, bottom left, and Roy Clapham, bottom right. 8 Figure 3.1 Central London, where key events in Tansley’s early life occurred. 21 Figure 3.2 George, Arthur (aged 21), and Amelia Tansley at Midsummer Hill, Malvern, 1892. 30 Figure 6.1 The field laboratory on the occasion of the first visit to Bouche d’Erquy, Brittany, 1904. Soil weighing and salt determinations are in progress in the foreground. Others figures are boring for soil cores. From left to right: E. A. N. Arber, W. C. Worsdell, F. F. Blackman, and ‘at the balance room’ Frances Chick. 66 Figure 6.2 Relations between the dominant species of tree and conditions determining the associations. Upland types are at the top, lowland at the bottom. The size of the capitals indicates the importance of the association. 77 Figure 7.1 The route of the International Phytogeographical Excursion, 1911 (IPE I). 84 Figure 7.2 Cowles, under ‘L’ and Clements, under ‘E’ of ‘LUGGAGE’ at the railway station, Truro, the final stop on the main Excursion. 85 ffbetw.inddbetw.indd vvii 22/3/2012/3/2012 99:27:14:27:14 PPMM List of Figures vii Figure 7.3 Edith and Arthur Tansley, at the University of Chicago, during the International Phytogeographical Excursion, 1913 (IPE II). 88 Figure 7.4 Cowles and Tansley in the field during IPE II. 88 Figure 8.1 (a) Deflected succession and the plagioclimax. (b) The subclimax, as conceived by Frederic Clements. 116 Figure 9.1 Magdalen College from High Street, Oxford, in 1925, photographed by Tansley’s colleague, A. H. Church. The Department of Botany (hidden, right) is opposite the tower. 125 Figure 10.1 Contrasting hydroseres in shallow lake waters: based on Pearsall’s researches in Esthwaite Water. 149 Figure 10.2 Scheme of some subseres and plagioseres, including that at Broadbalk Wilderness, leading to Quercetum roboris. 151 Figure 10.3 The CSR model of plant functional types. S(tress) equals phenomena that restrict photosynthesis, e.g. shortages of light, water, or minerals. C (ompetition) may be inter- or intraspecific. R stands for ruderals, plants favoured by disturbance, such as ploughing, mowing, herbivory, or fire. 152 More pictures of Tansley may be seen at www.newphytologist.org/tansley/ , and of his family at www.branscombeproject.org.uk/Attic%20Trunks.pdf . ffbetw.inddbetw.indd vviiii 22/3/2012/3/2012 99:27:14:27:14 PPMM Foreword by Alastair Fitter FRS on behalf of the New Phytologist Trust and the British Ecological Society Arthur Tansley was one of the few people who can claim the distinction of being one of the founders of a discipline. He was present at the birth of the modern discipline of ecology, a science whose name was only coined – in German – at the end of the 19th century. Tansley was a man of vision but also a great moderniser, whose influence is still strongly felt. He was a botanist and something of an iconoclast, who railed against the rigid and old-fashioned teaching methods of his day. His solution was also very modern: he harnessed media power by founding and editing a new journal, albeit one with a very traditional name – the New Phytologist – which is today one of the most successful international plant science journals.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bloomsbury Scientists Ii Iii
    i Bloomsbury Scientists ii iii Bloomsbury Scientists Science and Art in the Wake of Darwin Michael Boulter iv First published in 2017 by UCL Press University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT Available to download free: www.ucl.ac.uk/ ucl- press Text © Michael Boulter, 2017 Images courtesy of Michael Boulter, 2017 A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This book is published under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Non-derivative 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This license allows you to share, copy, distribute and transmit the work for personal and non-commercial use providing author and publisher attribution is clearly stated. Attribution should include the following information: Michael Boulter, Bloomsbury Scientists. London, UCL Press, 2017. https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781787350045 Further details about Creative Commons licenses are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ ISBN: 978- 1- 78735- 006- 9 (hbk) ISBN: 978- 1- 78735- 005- 2 (pbk) ISBN: 978- 1- 78735- 004- 5 (PDF) ISBN: 978- 1- 78735- 007- 6 (epub) ISBN: 978- 1- 78735- 008- 3 (mobi) ISBN: 978- 1- 78735- 009- 0 (html) DOI: https:// doi.org/ 10.14324/ 111.9781787350045 v In memory of W. G. Chaloner FRS, 1928– 2016, lecturer in palaeobotany at UCL, 1956– 72 vi vii Acknowledgements My old writing style was strongly controlled by the measured precision of my scientific discipline, evolutionary biology. It was a habit that I tried to break while working on this project, with its speculations and opinions, let alone dubious data. But my old practices of scientific rigour intentionally stopped personalities and feeling showing through.
    [Show full text]
  • Plant Identification and Mapping in the Digital Age: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
    THE MEDIATED CITY CONFERENCE Architecture_MPS; Ravensbourne; Woodbury University Los Angeles: 01—04 October, 2014 PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND MAPPING IN THE DIGITAL AGE: HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES NATHAN HEAVERS VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT This paper discusses the variety of recent digital media available for the identification and mapping of plants in cities in relation to the history of plant guides and maps. It raises the question: how has our focus on plants- especially their identification and mapping- evolved over the centuries and how might new digital media extend and/or limit our relationships with plants? The paper begins with an historical perspective on the processes of identifying and mapping plants and describes the development of plant books and their changing purposes within the general development of Western culture through a scientific lens. It touches on Theophrastus’ Enquiry into Plants, Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica, Linneaus’ Systema Naturae, and Tansley’s work in ecology. Next, the paper discusses the recent proliferation of locative media for identifying and mapping plants, which use face recognition software, crowd-sourcing, and location-based-services through GIS. These include Leafsnap for plant identification and i-Tree for ecological investigations of vegetation in cities. The paper concludes that in every era, human interests in plants and the media we’ve devised to investigate plants have been knit together. The 21st century is no different and the new digital media will be of great use in addressing issues as complex as climate change and as basic as identifying fresh fruit in cities. Overall, the new media have the potential to deliver knowledge to people about plants that was formerly hard to get, which may lead to an increase in plant literacy, especially in cities.
    [Show full text]
  • Marx's Ecology in Historical Perspective
    Issue 96 of INTERNATIONAL SOCIALISM JOURNAL Published Winter 2002 Copyright © International Socialism Marx's ecology in historical perspective JOHN BELLAMY FOSTER 'For the early Marx the only nature relevant to the understanding of history is human nature... Marx wisely left nature (other than human nature) alone.' These words are from George Lichtheim's influential book Marxism: An Historical and Critical Study, first published in 1961.1 Though he was not a Marxist, Lichtheim's view here did not differ from the general outlook of Western Marxism at the time he was writing. Yet this same outlook would be regarded by most socialists today as laughable. After decades of explorations of Marx's contributions to ecological discussions and publication of his scientific-technical notebooks, it is no longer a question of whether Marx addressed nature, and did so throughout his life, but whether he can be said to have developed an understanding of the nature-society dialectic that constitutes a crucial starting point for understanding the ecological crisis of capitalist society.2 A great many analysts, including some self styled eco-socialists, are prepared to acknowledge that Marx had profound insights into the environmental problem, but nonetheless argue that these insights were marginal to his work, that he never freed himself from 'Prometheanism' (a term usually meant to refer to an extreme commitment to industrialisation at any cost), and that he did not leave a significant ecological legacy that carried forward into later socialist thought or that had any relation to the subsequent development of ecology.3 In a recent discussion in the journal Capitalism, Nature, Socialism a number of authors argued that Marx could not have contributed anything of fundamental relevance to the development of ecological thought, since he wrote in the 19th century, before the nuclear age and before the appearance of PCBs, CFCs and DDT--and because he never used the word 'ecology' in his writings.
    [Show full text]
  • Protecting the Crown: a Century of Resource Management in Glacier National Park
    Protecting the Crown A Century of Resource Management in Glacier National Park Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (RM-CESU) RM-CESU Cooperative Agreement H2380040001 (WASO) RM-CESU Task Agreement J1434080053 Theodore Catton, Principal Investigator University of Montana Department of History Missoula, Montana 59812 Diane Krahe, Researcher University of Montana Department of History Missoula, Montana 59812 Deirdre K. Shaw NPS Key Official and Curator Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana 59936 June 2011 Table of Contents List of Maps and Photographs v Introduction: Protecting the Crown 1 Chapter 1: A Homeland and a Frontier 5 Chapter 2: A Reservoir of Nature 23 Chapter 3: A Complete Sanctuary 57 Chapter 4: A Vignette of Primitive America 103 Chapter 5: A Sustainable Ecosystem 179 Conclusion: Preserving Different Natures 245 Bibliography 249 Index 261 List of Maps and Photographs MAPS Glacier National Park 22 Threats to Glacier National Park 168 PHOTOGRAPHS Cover - hikers going to Grinnell Glacier, 1930s, HPC 001581 Introduction – Three buses on Going-to-the-Sun Road, 1937, GNPA 11829 1 1.1 Two Cultural Legacies – McDonald family, GNPA 64 5 1.2 Indian Use and Occupancy – unidentified couple by lake, GNPA 24 7 1.3 Scientific Exploration – George B. Grinnell, Web 12 1.4 New Forms of Resource Use – group with stringer of fish, GNPA 551 14 2.1 A Foundation in Law – ranger at check station, GNPA 2874 23 2.2 An Emphasis on Law Enforcement – two park employees on hotel porch, 1915 HPC 001037 25 2.3 Stocking the Park – men with dead mountain lions, GNPA 9199 31 2.4 Balancing Preservation and Use – road-building contractors, 1924, GNPA 304 40 2.5 Forest Protection – Half Moon Fire, 1929, GNPA 11818 45 2.6 Properties on Lake McDonald – cabin in Apgar, Web 54 3.1 A Background of Construction – gas shovel, GTSR, 1937, GNPA 11647 57 3.2 Wildlife Studies in the 1930s – George M.
    [Show full text]
  • Sir Arthur Tansley, FRS, 1871-1955
    third comes from private sources and two-thirds from the government in various grants and contracts for specific tasks. Washington, D. C. Herbert C. Hanson April 12, 1956 Representative of the Ecological Society of America to the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council. RESOLUTION OF RESPECT SIR ARTHUR TANSLEY, F. R. S. 1871-1955 Sir Arthur Tansley, one of the founders and past president of the British Ecological Society, died on November 25, 1955. For over fifty years he was a leader in British botany and ecology and early was acclaimed interna tionally. In 1902 he initiated the periodical, The New Phytologist, both edit ing and publishing it during its early years. From 1916 to 1937 he edited the Journal of Ecology. He wrote several books ("Types of British Vegetation," "Elements of Plant Biology," "Aims and Methods in the Study of Plant Ecology" (with T. F. Chipp), "Practical Plant Ecology," "The British Isles and Their Vegeta tion," "Our Heritage of Wild Nature," and others) which became widely known and used. His book "The New Psychology" written after a period in Vienna with Prof. Freud did much to publicize the Freudian theories. He was educated at Highgate School, University College, London and Trinity College, Cambridge. He taught at University College of London, then at Cambridge, and in 1927 was elected Sherardian professor of botany and fellow of Magdalen College at Oxford. Following his retirement in 1937, he devoted himself to writing and in 1943 became head of the British Nature Conservancy. He was honored by election to the Royal Society in 1915, to an honorary fellowship at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1944 and received a knighthood in 1950.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Plant Ecology
    History of Plant Ecology Plato and Aristotle From Raphael’s fresco “The School of Athens”, ca. 350 BC 8/26/09 1 Early Philosophers • Plato recognized erosion during his time. “Our land, compared with what it was, is like a skeleton of a body wasted by disease. The plump soft parts have vanished, and all that remains is the bare carcass.” • Aristotle believed that nature was pp;rovident; extinction could not occur • Theophrastus, considered the father of Botany, determined that some plants were found in certain regions and not others (plant geography) • In 70 BC, Lucretius wrote about succession in his book “On the Nature of Things.” 8/26/09 2 Age of Exploration • Plant geographers played an important role in the 18th and 19th centuries • They observed PATTERNS of plant species distributions over elevation and climatic gradients • Alexander von Humboldt was one of the most famous; born in the late 1700s in Prussia (which became Germany) • In South America, he explored the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers, climbed Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador (21,000’), and brought back 60,000 plant specimens • He had inherited a fortune, and spent it on travel and publishing his books. – Plant Geography, published in 1807 – Five-volume encyclopedia “Kosmos” was his last 8/26/09 3 1 Baron von Humboldt • Attributed vegetation zonation in the tropics to: – Temperature – Humidity – Atmospheric Pressure (!) – Electrical Charge (!) • Visited President Thomas Jefferson in 1804; he encouraged support of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (later, Jefferson explored the Alps
    [Show full text]
  • Peter G. Ayres. Shaping Ecology: the Life of Arthur Tansley. Shaping Ecology: the Life of Arthur Tansley by Peter G
    Peter G. Ayres. Shaping Ecology: The Life of Arthur Tansley. Shaping Ecology: The Life of Arthur Tansley by Peter G. Ayres Review by: Peder Anker Isis, Vol. 105, No. 2 (June 2014), pp. 446-447 Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of The History of Science Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/678012 . Accessed: 01/09/2014 10:04 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The University of Chicago Press and The History of Science Society are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Isis. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 216.165.95.66 on Mon, 1 Sep 2014 10:04:37 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 446 BOOK REVIEWS—ISIS, 105 : 2 (2014) more when they became part of the Hindu social for example, how the tapping of keys, the reform movement’s drive to uplift women. Re- pulling of levers, and the pushing of buttons formers successfully urged middle-class women affected the conception of writing as a hand- to take up sewing both as a modern domestic crafted, manual exercise.
    [Show full text]
  • Marxs Ecology: Materialism and Nature Free
    FREE MARXS ECOLOGY: MATERIALISM AND NATURE PDF John Bellamy Foster | 322 pages | 06 Jun 2000 | Monthly Review Press,U.S. | 9781583670125 | English | New York, United States John Bellamy Foster: Marx's ecology in historical perspective (Autumn ) British Wildlife is the leading natural history magazine in the UK, providing essential reading for both enthusiast and professional naturalists and wildlife conservationists. Published eight times a year, British Wildlife bridges the gap between popular writing and scientific literature through a combination of long-form articles, regular columns and reports, book reviews and letters. Conservation Land Management CLM is a quarterly magazine that is widely Marxs Ecology: Materialism and Nature as essential reading for all who are involved in land management for nature conservation, across the British Isles. CLM includes long-form articles, events listings, publication reviews, new product information and updates, reports of conferences and letters. Exceptional customer service Get specialist help and advice. Examines Marx's neglected writings on capitalist agriculture and soil ecology, philosophical naturalism, and evolutionary theory. English Deutsch. Help pages. Prothero Michael Marxs Ecology: Materialism and Nature. Benton Richard Fortey View All. British Wildlife. Go to British Wildlife. Conservation Land Management. Go to Conservation Land Management. Publisher: Monthly Review Press. Click to have a closer look. Select version. About this book Customer reviews Related titles. Images Additional images. About this book Examines Marx's neglected writings on capitalist agriculture and soil ecology, philosophical naturalism, and evolutionary theory. Customer Reviews Review this book. By: Bellamy Foster. Current promotions. Bestsellers in Environmental Politics. Green Alternatives to Globalisation. More Info. The Conservation Revolution.
    [Show full text]
  • Under One Leaf. a Historical Perspective on the UK Plant
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Open Research Exeter Published in New Phytologist, 2012 Under One Leaf. A Historical Perspective on the UK Plant Science Federation Authors: Sabina Leonelli, ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society, Department of Sociology and Philosophy, University of Exeter, tel. 0044 1392 725137 . Email: [email protected] [corresponding author] Berris Charnley, ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society, University of Exeter Alex Webb, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Ruth Bastow, GARNet, School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick Abstract The UK Plant Science Federation was established at the end of 2011. This article explores the significance of this venture through a lens based on the history of plant genetics throughout the 20th century. We illustrate the advantages and difficulties in building and maintaining collaborative links between researchers working with crops and model species and the significance of such collaborations for the future of plant science in the UK and further afield. In particular, we explore how the success and failures in the plant molecular genetics and genomics sector can help inform the activities of the UKPSF and, conversely, how the UKPSF can help unite the many and various plant science spheres in the UK in order to tackle current global challenges. Keywords: plant science, plant genetics, history of biology, crops, breeding practices, model organisms, laboratory research 1. Introduction The UK Plant Science Federation (UKPSF) was launched on the 23rd November 2011 and will see its first annual gathering in April 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Ecology
    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335715336 INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY Preprint · September 2019 CITATIONS READS 0 39,411 1 author: A. Balasubramanian University of Mysore 370 PUBLICATIONS 602 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Geochemical Modelling of Groundwater for Prevention of Incrustation in the Water Supply Systems of Salem, Tamil Nadu, India View project Educational Video Documentaries in Earth , Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences View project All content following this page was uploaded by A. Balasubramanian on 10 September 2019. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY by Prof. A. Balasubramanian Centre for Advanced Studies in Earth Science University of Mysore Mysore-6 1 INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY by Prof. A. Balasubramanian Centre for Advanced Studies in Earth Science University of Mysore Mysore-6 Introduction Biology is the science of life. Ecology is basically a branch of biology. It deals with study of interactions among organisms and their biophysical environment. This biophysical environment includes both biotic and abiotic components. The word "ecology" ("Ökologie") was coined in 1866 by the German scientist Ernst Haeckel. It is derived from the Greek words Oikos- home + logos- study. The Biophysical environment in which all interactive mechanisms happen is called as an ecosystem. Since the ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscapes, work together to form a bubble of life, earth science becomes the backbone of ecology. Ecology deals with organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems and the biosphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Animals and Ecological Science
    Animals and Ecological Science Oxford Handbooks Online Animals and Ecological Science Anita Guerrini The Oxford Handbook of Animal Studies (Forthcoming) Edited by Linda Kalof Subject: Political Science, Political Theory, Comparative Politics Online Publication Date: Feb DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199927142.013.25 2015 Abstract and Keywords Ecological science, which studies the relationships between organisms and their environments, developed from natural history. Aristotle’s teleological chain of being and detailed description modeled natural history until the eighteenth century. Linnaeus and Buffon replaced Aristotelian categories with new criteria for classification, leading the way to Darwin’s evolutionary theory. Darwinian evolution depended on environmental factors and led to the birth of ecological science by the end of the nineteenth century. The ecosystem concept emphasizes populations and systems rather than individuals. Case studies, of wolves and fish show the range of modern ecological science. Anthropogenic changes to the environment have led to extinction and endangered species. Attempts to meliorate human influence include rewilding and synthetic biology. Keywords: ecological science, chain of being, ecosystem, endangered species, evolution, extinction, natural history, rewilding, synthetic biology, taxonomy Introduction The chapter examines animals as objects of scientific study in the ecological sciences under three broad headings. Before there was ecological science, there was natural history, while today some believe that the future of ecological science is in what has been called de-extinction or synthetic biology. Between these two extremes, I look at some current practices in ecological science, with case studies of wolves and fish. The following section of the volume looks at animals in ecosystems. From Natural History to Ecology Although Aristotle (384–322 BCE) was not the first to regard animals as subjects of inquiry rather than as commodities, he was the first Western philosopher to do this systematically.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Ecological Thought on Architectural Theory. Robert Gordon University [Online], Phd Thesis
    LEWIS, P. 2019. The impact of ecological thought on architectural theory. Robert Gordon University [online], PhD thesis. Available from: https://openair.rgu.ac.uk The impact of ecological thought on architectural theory. LEWIS, P. 2019 The author of this thesis retains the right to be identified as such on any occasion in which content from this thesis is referenced or re-used. The licence under which this thesis is distributed applies to the text and any original images only – re-use of any third-party content must still be cleared with the original copyright holder. This document was downloaded from https://openair.rgu.ac.uk The impact of ecological thought on architectural theory Penny Lewis A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Robert Gordon University for a degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2019 1 Abstract This thesis looks at the idea of ecology and its relationship to, and influence on, architectural thought. Ecological thinking emerged as a subset of biology in the second half of the nineteenth century and developed as a philosophical idea and a political outlook. As an idea that stands in the hinterland between science and society, it has not been particularly stable; sometimes it is fashionable, at others it has disappeared from consciousness. This thesis looks at the long history of ecology, paying particular attention to the periods when it was a popular idea and it had an impact on the imagination and outlook of architects. The first of these periods is in the decades from Darwin's publication of his theory of evolution through to the run-up to the First World War, prior to the emergence of the Modern Movement.
    [Show full text]