Honorable Ecolog Forum: There's something about the imminent end of still another year that gets me to thinking about where "things" are, where they have been, and where they are going. It's a time for reflection that's as good as any, but a life well-lived is in a continuous state of reflection. Ecology seems to me to be a comprehensive way of looking at biology, an attempt to include everything and to see all the connections and relationships in time and space. That's a tall order, more than any one individual can hope to fully comprehend, or even see, hear, smell, or touch, much less interpret correctly such that we can reach conclusions that more closely match reality than fantasy. The more I know about where "things" are the minds of others, the better I am able to extend my own vision, and challenge it.
While I don't want bias your answers, I will say that I am, for the moment, more interested in learning more about your INDIVIDUAL views (not those of other authorities, textbooks or websites) in the realm of scientific/disciplined study and thinking about the present state of ecology as an intellectual activity, and not so much interested, for the moment, in applied aspects of ecology. So I would be interested in as many thoughts as anyone cares to share about his or her OWN thoughts about the important questions in the scientific study of the ecological phenomenon, and, by reflection, critical views of the current status of ecology as a form of intellectual enquiry in its present state. I am particularly interested in any views about the fundamental principles of ecology that have stood the test of time and testing and retesting, that is theories that have been demonstrated to be valid in the real world. So the answers can be anything, such as theories that have not been fully tested. For now, I am not so much interested in political and policy issues, even though these are important. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Peace, WT PS: I will be away from the computer for two or three weeks beginning sometime next week. Happy New Year! (And thank you all for your past generosity in sharing your insights; that has greatly helped me to sort out the wheat from the chaff.) http://www.euractiv.com/en/environment/analysis-top-100-ecological-questions-identified/article-156507 http://britishecologicalsociety.org/blog/blog/2009/04/28/100-questions-to-conserve-global-biodiversity/
