Free PDF The Balance of Nature: Ecology's Enduring Myth, by John Kricher
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The Balance of Nature: Ecology's Enduring Myth, by John Kricher
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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 of life, and that ecology is far more dynamic than we ever imagined.
The Balance of Nature traces the fascinating history of the science of ecology and evolutionary biology, from the discipline's early innovators to the advent of Darwin and evolution, to the brilliant and inquisitive scientific minds of today. Blending insights and entertaining stories from his own remarkable life in science, Kricher reveals how evolution is a powerful engine that drives ecological change, how nature is constantly in flux and, in effect, quite naturally out of balance--and how notions to the contrary are misguided and ultimately hazardous to us all.
The Balance of Nature forcefully argues that an understanding of the dynamic nature of ecology and evolution is essential to formulating policies of environmental ethics to guide humanity toward a more responsible stewardship of our planet's ecosystems.
- Sales Rank: #883178 in Books
- Published on: 2009-05-17
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.40" h x .90" w x 6.30" l, 1.10 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 256 pages
Review
"The author conveys his message in a clear writing style without using highly technical concepts or terminology."--B.R. Shmaefsky, Choice
"Kricher's book is of interest to environmental historians and historians of science not only on account of the information it contains, but also because within it there is so little of the scholarship of the history of the environmental sciences with which we, in the humanities and social sciences, are familiar."--Jane Carruthers, Environment and History
"With The Balance of Nature, John Kricher has done us the favor of producing the book our non-ecological parents should read. In a scant 200 pages of accessible prose, Kricher weaves together three themes about which any literate citizen should be aware. . . . The Balance of Nature hits its mark. Buy a copy for your parents, your students, and your children today."--Aaron M. Ellison, Ecology
"The relationship between science and non-science belief systems especially religious belief system has always been an uneasy one. Even though this book clearly sides with science in disclaiming the notion of the 'balance of nature', it is still relevant to people who hold to the Judeo-Christian creation belief and of other religious backgrounds who are interested in the workings of the natural world."--Richard S. Mbatu, International Journal of Environmental Studies
From the Back Cover
"John Kricher masterfully describes the ancient origins of the concept of a balance of nature and its unquestioned incorporation into the thinking of many ecologists and conservationists. This concept implies an overarching purpose or design in the natural world, making it inconsistent with our understanding of how evolution works. Kricher shows that we can understand and protect natural ecosystems better by rejecting the assumption that nature is a well-designed machine and accepting the true complexity created by numerous interacting species."--Robert Askins, Connecticut College
"This is a highly readable account of ecology, rich in substance, metaphor, and examples. The author's main goal is to puncture the cozy idea that nature is in a state of balance. While the concept of balance fitted the philosophy of some of the ancient Greeks and their intellectual descendants, John Kricher explains how it has repeatedly failed the test of empirical science. Nature, he shows, is much more interesting."--Peter R. Grant, Princeton University
"A deft and inviting tour of ecology and evolution, a book of revelation about the balance of nature that really counts, namely that between ourselves and the living planet. This is an appealing read that reveals the most important story of human history."--Thomas E. Lovejoy, president of the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment
"Kricher's new book challenges our long-held belief in the balance of nature. Presenting fascinating evidence in a highly readable style, Kricher makes the case that no, there is no balance within nature, but yes, we need a sounder ethic that trumpets the urgency that we must save our environment--now!"--Herb Raffaele, United States Fish and Wildlife Service
"Kricher is an excellent storyteller and this is an important story to tell. I thoroughly enjoyed this little book. It is chock full of interesting ideas that challenge conventional wisdom. The Balance of Nature is a fun read throughout, and will appeal to a broad range of readers both within and outside the discipline."--Richard Karban, coauthor of How to Do Ecology
"Kricher dispels the popularly held notion that nature exists in some single, harmonious balance, and shows how, as a consequence, we need to change the way we view nature. His passion and breadth of understanding come through very clearly. The Balance of Nature is a charming and very readable book."--Oswald Schmitz, Yale University
About the Author
John Kricher is the A. Howard Meneely Professor of Biology at Wheaton College. His books include "Galapagos: A Natural History" and "A Neotropical Companion" (both Princeton).
Most helpful customer reviews
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful.
Kricher's The Balance of Nature--a must read
By Professor Emeritus
John Kricher has done a masterful job of tracing the long history of ideas about a "balance of nature" and presents well-crafted arguments that refute the concept. Nature is not now in balance nor has it ever been--nature is dynamic and constantly changing. The heart and soul of the book is his analysis of evolution as the major controlling factor in nature. Humans have had an inordinate impact on natural systems and Kricher makes a strong case that humanity's future depends on how we act towards the world's ecosystems. This is truly a marvelous book--a must read for anyone interested in ecology, evolution, or conservation--and that should be everyone.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Four Fifths a Great Book
By Roger Sweeny
If you believe in evolution, says biology professor John Kricher, you shouldn't believe in "the balance of nature." You know that species are constantly changing, so ecosystems must be also. Research since Darwin shows that shorter time scales also show no balance. Fifteen thousand years ago, the area where Kricher teaches had been scraped clean down to bedrock by advancing glaciers. Plants and animals moved away, but they didn't move as a group, as a single system. They moved at different rates, and not always in the same direction. When the glacier retreated, plants and animals came back, again at different rates.
For a long time, ecologists thought of ecosystems as tightly-knit communities, almost supra-organisms. Everything fit and worked together. It was what nature wanted and what, at least without human interference, it would go to. No ecologist, says Kricher, believes this anymore. Living things are always interdependent but never neatly balanced.
Any sort of disturbance will change the plants and animals in an area: more or less rain, higher or lower temperatures, storms, etc. And disturbances are inevitable. Gardeners know that one year there can be an infestation of a certain bug and the next year hardly any. Accidents of history can lead to substantially different ecosystems in similar areas right next to each other. The balance of nature is intuitively appealing. It has roots in Greek philosophy and Christian natural theology. It was taken over by early ecologists. But nowadays, no good ecologist believes it, any more than they believe in a 6,000 year old earth. Individual living things come and go depending on how conditions change. Every place is unique and constantly changing.
Kricher gives a rich history of plant and animal interactions and human attempts to understand them. The first 170 pages are marvelous. They show deep knowledge and long thinking. However, the book doesn't stop there. There are two more chapters, and they aren't nearly as strong. They also don't relate much to "balance of nature." There is some "we are losing species at a high rate" that readers have heard many times before, some economics that I thought was shallow and sometimes wrong, and a quick tour of modern environmentalism that, again, readers have heard many times before.
Those thirty-plus pages are a missed opportunity . Writing about environmentalists, he says nice things about Aldo Leopold's "land ethic"-but the heart of the land ethic is the idea that, "A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community." Isn't this a balance of nature view? Kricher has gone to great pains to show that it is not natural for biotic communities to have "integrity" or "stability." He would have done a great service if he had used the end of the book to bring his wisdom to bear on the fascinating question, "How much of Leopold-and environmentalism in general-survives the death of the "balance of nature?"
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
A Thorough Explanation of Nature, Ecology & Time!
By Steve Mac
In many ways, Kricher explains Nature has no balance. Thus, any change will have a consequence, and changes are occurring all the time. Kricher correctly pinpoints people's concern about the economy. Yet, with Nature, it is dismissed as having a "balance."
Significant chapters were: Chapter 4 is "Ecology B.C. ("Before Charles). Chapter 5 is "Ecology A.D. ("After Darwin). Chapter 8 "Ecology and Evolution Process." Wow, Darwin was a game changer for all scientific thought about biology and natural history of living organisms!
Kricher approaches ecological changes, over time, from several directions: astronomy, geologically, bio-diversity, evolution, how natural selection really works, climate, specie function (vs. purpose), biological vectors and specie relationships (keystone specie, top down vs bottom up, food chain, etc).
You will receive an education reading "Balance of Nature"!!!
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