Discordant Harmonies: A New Ecology for the Twenty-first Century

by Daniel B. Botkin

Global warming, acid rain, the depletion of forests, the polluting of our atmosphere and oceans—the threats to our environment are numerous, raising justifiable concern among most of us and genuine alarm in some. But as scientist Daniel Botkin argues in this provocative book, our ability to solve these problems is limited—not by our scientific knowledge—but by the age-old myths and metaphors that shape our perception of the natural world. Indeed, our beliefs about nature have fallen well behind our knowledge.

Daniel Botkin is a seasoned scientist. He has spent three decades in the field studying the changes and interactions of forests and animal species. In the 1970s he pioneered the use of computers to predict ecological trends. Now, in Discordant Harmonies, he combines his considerable expertise with the well-honed eye of the nature writer and a philosopher's sense of how ideas shape our perceptions of reality to take us on a marvelous guided tour of the natural world. His method is to introduce a problem in our beliefs about nature by giving us a fascinating case study: of predator–prey relationships, of forests evolving over centuries, of species nearing extinction, of the ways our "protection" of nature has had surprising—and often disappointing—results. Botkin's revealing case studies also highlight controversial present-day issues—like controlled burning in national forests, fishing and hunting quotas, and policy-making for management of natural resources. He looks at each of these cases in the light of past thinking and current research, revealing how old myths often blind us to the new technology and to the ways of thinking we need to solve our environmental problems. Above all, Botkin is concerned with redefining the relationship between human beings and nature, so that our needs can be met and the intricate systems of nature can persist.

Whether discussing moose herds on Isle Royale or Yosemite's famous Mariposa Grove of Sequoias, Botkin writes vividly and insightfully about nature, challenging us to rethink some of our most cherished notions. Anyone who is concerned about the environment will find much here to ponder as well as the pleasure of meeting a stimulating and thoughtful mind at work.

Genres: Ecology, Science, Nonfiction, Environment

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Daniel Botkin is a scientist, biologist, ecologist, physicist, professor, author and journalist. Renowned for his scientific contributions in ecology and environment, he has also worked as a professional journalist and has degrees in physics, biology, and literature. He is best known for the development of the first successful computer simulation in ecology, a computer model of forest growth that has developed into a sub-discipline in this field, with more than 50 versions in use worldwide. Botkin has also been a pioneer in the study of ecosystems and wilderness and the application of advanced technology to ecology. He has helped develop major national programs in ecology, including the National Science Foundation’s Long-term Ecological Research Program and NASA’s Mission to Earth. He has directed research on wilderness and natural parks around the world and is a leader in the application of environmental sciences to solve complex environmental problems.

Botkin has been a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara since 1979. Currently, he is Professor Emeritus, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been President and Founder of The Center for the Study of the Environment, a non-profit research and educational corporation. He serves on the board of the Environmental Literacy Council, the Board of Trustees of the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress, and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has also been a fellow at the Rockefeller Bellagio Institute in Italy and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Among his awards are the The 2012 The Honorable John C. Pritzlaff Conservation Award; Astor Lectureship, Oxford University; The 2004 Tex and Academic Authors Association Texty Award for best textbook of 2003; The Fernow Award for Outstanding Contributions in International Forestry; and the Mitchell International Prize for Sustainable Development.

For more information visit www.danielbotkin.com or follow him on Twitter @danielbotkin.

Reviews

[Steven McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this largely because I felt that I should be aware of the content, not so much because I wanted to. Of particular interest to me was the historic review of how western cultures have viewed "nature" as fairly steady-state in the absence of human interference, versus the contemporary awareness of the intrinsic dynamism of the natural world. I hadn't realized that this book was published in 1990, so it's somewhat dated, and I was familiar with most of the concepts from my days as an ecology student in the 1990s. Nonetheless, it's pretty well-written, and I expect I'll probably read this author's sequel.

[Blair · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, written in 1981, is an interesting historical document in the way it describes 1981's "new ecology". I found it basic and outdated compared to my Environmental Studies courses, but he does characterize well three views of ecology predating his proposal: divine order, organic, and mechanical.

I was crazy for him to analyze the Gaia hypothesis, but he only dedicates one paragraph to it.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slightly more extensive review of

Discordant Harmonies: A New Ecology for the Twenty-First Century

is available here: https://667-per-cm.net/2021/11/28/bot...