Lecture 7: Wilderness, Ecology, and Ethics

Question 1

During the Fire suppression aim from 1872-1940s, conservationists wanted?

Answer 1

a warehouse of resources

“do not let it burn, we can make us of it”

Question 2

During the Fire suppression aim from 1872-1940s, recreationalists wanted?

Answer 2

use/enjoy the wilderness

“make sure it doesn’t burn, it be great for hiking, etc”

Question 3

During the Fire suppression aim from 1872-1940s, preservationists wanted?

Answer 3

to maintain unspoiled beauty.

Question 4

What occurred in 1988?

Answer 4

Greater Yellowstone Fires, with 1.5 M acres burned

Question 5

By ____, prescribed fires were allowed to burn out

Answer 5

1970s to 1988

Question 6

In ____, a prescribed burn became wild and threatened Los Alamos Nuclear Weapons Laboratory.

Answer 6

2000

Question 7

In ____, a windstorm damaged large swath of Boundary

Waters Canoe Area (a wilderness area)

Answer 7

1999

Question 8

The Concept of Ecocentrism:

1. extends moral standing to?
2. is the idea that the ecosystem as a whole deserves?
3. is an approach that is NOT ____.

Answer 8

1. natural (non living) objects
2. ethical consideration
3. individual oriented; it is holistic (about the community)

Question 9

What did the WIlderness Act of 1964 attempt to do?

Answer 9

preserve unspoiled regions, because Human activity reaches everywhere, even if indirectly.

Question 10

Wilderness areas require human activity to manage/protect

them. Therefore, how do we manage them ethically using the Biblical view of wilderness?

Answer 10

• accursed, wild, desolate
• Jesus in wilderness
• Israelites in wilderness

Question 11

Wilderness areas require human activity to manage/protect

them. Therefore, how do we manage them ethically using the Puritanical view of wilderness?

Answer 11

• it is dual (2 sided)
• escape from tyranny but wild and dangerous
• love it for its freedom, but at the same time is is something to be feared.

Question 12

Wilderness areas require human activity to manage/protect

them. Therefore, how do we manage them ethically using Locke’s model of wilderness?

Answer 12

• it is useful in an altered sense

- Early conservationists adopted this view

Question 13

Wilderness areas require human activity to manage/protect

them. Therefore, how do we manage them ethically using the Nomadic cultural view of wilderness?

Answer 13

• each a part of the whole
• fits in Native American perspective
• fire managment
• predator eradication

Question 14

Wilderness areas require human activity to manage/protect

them. Therefore, how do we manage them ethically using the Romantic model of wilderness?

Answer 14

• symbol of purity, innocence

- focus on “deeper reality” vs. scientific understanding of nature

Question 15

The wilderness myth best parallels the ______ view of nature, because wilderness was seen as a source of inspiration, produced art, and influenced contemporary throught (according to Audubon/Muir).

Answer 15

romantic

It was a blending of European sublime and American frontier

Question 16

The Wilderness Myth:

1. is portrayed as a ______ place.
2. places humans ____ from nature.
3. identifies wilderness as it existed at a _____.

Answer 16

1. “benign and temperate”
2. apart ( We draw from it, but at a distance)
3. point in time (static)

Question 17

Ecology lead to __1__, which leads to __2__.

Answer 17

1. philosophy

2. ethics

Question 18

How did Haeckel define “ecology” in the 1860s by using the ORGANIC model?

What do critics say about this model?

Answer 18

1. species to environment as organs to body
2. healthy/diseased
3. young/mature
4. climax community = developmental goal of system (Cowles, Clements)

Critics say its too bio-focused; overly simplistic and fails to capture competitions, radical shifts, and complexity.

Question 19

How did Haeckel define “ecology” in the 1860s by using the ecosystem approach?

1. It includes the ____.
2. DOES NOT imply a _____.
3. It has _____ analogues.
4. It preserves the idea that the ____ is important

Answer 19

1. entire system, including abiotic components
2. “superorganism”
3. chem/phys/math
4. “whole”

Question 20

The ecosystem approach is still widely used, because it mostly replaced the organic model. The ecosystem approach is then divided into 2 models.

1. The ____ model: entities fulfill functions; is functional, the food chain concept
2. The ____ model: ecosystem as a mechanical, physical system; better addresses the abiotic components such as temp, wind, waterflow, etc.; implies constant change, without necessary developmental trend.

Answer 20

1. Community model

2. Energy model

Question 21

How did Haeckel define “ecology” in the 1860s by using the Gaia view?

1. It views the entire earth as a _____.
2. It is a flashback to the ____ model, but with sophistication of the ecosystem science.
3. Haeckel was criticized as using the ____.

Answer 21

1. single organism
2. organic (Is not strong and popular at this point)
3. naturalistic fallacy (think back to Hume - something happens, but does not mean its not the best and most proper)

Question 22

What is Tsavo?

Answer 22

A Wildlife preserve in Africa, managed for several years.
As animals get to big, animals were used for culling.
They cannot support all of them, culling was seen as a reasonable approach.
Culling was problematic, elephants ended up doing damage.
They tried birth control, in hope the elephants would stop reproducing.

Question 23

Naturalists vs. scientists

“let’s watch and learn” in Tsavo:

Answer 23

they saw nature did regulate on its own: the full cycle was observed.

1. the wood and plant communities were getting destroyed
2. opended up additional grasslands, the grazers population ended up increasing
3. Matriarchs led group to permanent source of water, there were mass die offs, but it was natural.
4. Generational gaps following water shortage
5. With end of drought, new trees got much bigger and supported elephants for a while.

Since that time, Tsavo was managed and continued to thrive in this way. Letting nature take its course - but need large area for natural processes

Question 24

Essay: If you were responsible for managing a national park, how would you address wildlife welfare/population issues? Would you support road-building plans to give more people access to backcountry? What ethical considerations would guide you?

Answer 24

Essay question.