The New Ecology: Rethinking a Science for the Anthropocene

Description

Our species has transitioned from being one among millions on Earth to the species that is single-handedly transforming the entire planet to suit its own needs. In order to meet the daunting challenges of environmental sustainability in this epoch of human domination--known as the Anthropocene--ecologists have begun to think differently about the i

Oswald J. Schmitz is the Oastler Professor of Population and Community Ecology in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University. His books include Resolving Ecosystem Complexity (Princeton).

"Featuring novel ideas communicated clearly, this book is likely to have broad appeal... The book proposes that humans integrate themselves and their activity into a natural ecological niche, striving to control their impact on the natural environment by understanding and engineering their place in it... The New Ecology is persuasive in its argument that conscientious stewardship is more productive than an attempt to separate humans from the environment completely... Conversational in tone, non-ecologists will comprehend the book easily, and ecologists will be interested in the fresh concepts."--Foreword "The New Ecology underlines the essential role that humans can play in shaping what the Earth will look like in the coming century. Ecologists can no longer act alone and Schmitz acknowledges that... This book is an excellent introduction to the new ecology. It helps us understand that we humans--and all of nature--are intertwined and that we have to work with nature for a sustainable world. And it offers hope that change is possible."--Arab News "I recommend [The New Ecology] for high school students in an ecology or environmental science class, or for college students. It was easy to read, but, unlike a textbook, interwove examples through several chapters. I found it a great resource, especially for teachers."--NSTA Recommends