During its earliest days the field of ecology was devoted to the study of nature apart from humans. But a new kind of ecology recognizes that one simply can’t separate nature from humankind.
In a new book, “A New Ecology: Rethinking a Science for the Anthropocene,” Oswald J. Schmitz, the Oastler Professor of Population and Community Ecology at F&ES, offers a concise and personal description of this new ecology and the critical role humans play in an unprecedented transformation of the natural world.
In a recent interview, Schmitz explains how scientists came to appreciate this complex relationship between humans and nature, why he’s hopeful that we can protect biodiversity through careful choices, and why it’s important to introduce these concepts to non-scientists.
http://environment.yale.edu/news/article/a-new-ecology-reclaiming-a-healthy-connection-between-humans-and-nature/
