"Landscaping" is an "applied pursuit." "Landscape ecology" is an applied or descriptive science. Or is that an oversimplification?
Warren W. Aney Senior Wildlife Ecologist Tigard, Oregon -----Original Message----- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Wayne Tyson Sent: Sunday, 18 April, 2010 13:08 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Ecology Terminology Ecologist Landscape Re: [ECOLOG-L] Marine Landscape Ecologist Warren, I'm all for updating, but I also recognize that all scholarship is not always perfect. Either American Heritage was in error, or Webster hacked out the earlier definition intentionally or unintentionally. Just because 2006 comes fifty years after 1956 doesn't necessarily mean that it is the final authority. I am not an etymologist, but I am suspending judgment until I hear the whole story. That said, moving on . . . Please understand that I am accepting "landscape ecology" as it is defined by its practitioners, period. What I am challenging is the confusion that arises when one term is used for two quite different meanings, muddying the semantic, colloquial, lexicographic, intellectual, and scientific waters. I quite embrace the idea of "matches," "best fits," consistency, and relevance--none of those characteristics interfere with discipline or clarity. The point I last attempted to make was confined to the absence of those features which is evident when one term is used to mean two quite different things or when two or more terms are unnecessarily used to mean the same thing. The central issue is clarity of communication, and avoidance of obfuscation or confusion. Worst of all, this leads to a tradition of people not knowing what they are talking about, as in "professional" jargon, advertising, and politics, ad nauseam. I am trying to be as literal as possible here, and I hope I have communicated clearly and not set up any conditions through which well-intentioned interpretation can render it otherwise. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, from what you say, am I misinterpreting you when I respond that it appears that landscape ecology is an applied pursuit rather than a science, or am I still missing something? Thanks to you and all for your patience. WT ----- Original Message ----- From: "Warren W. Aney" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2010 9:56 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Ecology Terminology Ecologist Landscape Re: [ECOLOG-L] Marine Landscape Ecologist > Wayne, my source is Webster's New World College Dictionary (2006 -- I find > it helps to upgrade one's dictionary every decade or so). > > In this source there are 3 noun definitions -- a picture of scenery, the > branch of art dealing with such pictures, and an expanse of natural > scenery; > plus 1 verb definition -- to change the natural features of a piece of > ground to make it more attractive. > > > To me, "landscape ecology" does not really match this "natural scenery" > definition, because we study, describe and manipulate "landscapes" that > range from pristine wilderness to urbanized developments. The key seems > to > be in the scale at which we study and operate. I am really not practicing > landscape ecology if I let a diverse native plant community grow in my > small > urban backyard or restore 1 acre of rural wetland. But I am practicing > landscape ecology if I utilize city land use decision making and action to > maintain or increase tree cover retention, structural and (native) species > diversity, stream buffers, wetlands and surface water management features, > even though the density standard is 5 dwellings per acre. And I am > practicing landscape ecology if I work to restore and preserve 1,000 acres > of natural wetland and its adjacent and affected ecosystems. > > Warren W. Aney > Tigard, Oregon > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Wayne Tyson > Sent: Saturday, 17 April, 2010 20:59 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Ecology Terminology Ecologist Landscape Re: > [ECOLOG-L] Marine Landscape Ecologist > > Thanks, Warren, that's more understandable. > > I haven't looked up the etymology of landscape recently, but when I did > some > > years ago, I ended up at the Indo-European root "skep," to "hack" or "to > cut."* Either way, the term is embedded in the language. It is only a > curiosity, and the actual original meaning is most likely lost to history. > However, I do think it is unfortunate that the term aid in the > misunderstanding that "landscape" (being expanded [I wonder by whom and > when?] to include natural areas) is equivalent to "landscape" as a verb, > almost exclusively meaning to replace ecosystems with plants (with little > or > > not regard to animals except to exclude and kill them) chosen, not by the > interaction of co-evolved species with each other and their environment, > but > > in accordance with the whims of the owner or artist (e.g. landscape > architect) to concoct a "proper" fantasyland, commonly "using" plants > (from > a "palette") readily available from a nursery industry that bear little > relation to the natural environmental context. Such semantic confusion is > regrettable in my view, particularly when it plays into the hands of those > who displace natural, self-sufficient biological systems with > maintenance-dependent assemblages that have effects far beyond their > physical boundaries. > > I did not intend to expand this query into this area, and I do not intend > to > > imply that it is (apparently) more than a part of what appears to be > "landscape ecology" as you have explained it. Certainly some watersheds > and > their "landscapes" are free of "landscaping," but many have been greatly > altered, even poisoned, with their Q pushed through the erosion threshold, > by landscaping and other urban development that is not only insensitive to > natural, self-sufficient ecosystems, but actively and intentionally > hostile > to them. That's mostly why I think there should be separate terms for such > distinctly different systems, especially within the realm of science and > intellectual discipline. > > WT > > *I believe the Old Dutch "scap" shares this root. As I recall, the > "American > > Heritage Dictionary" was one reference for this. I would appreciate > learning > > of any "correction" that may have been made to this. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Warren W. Aney" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2010 11:08 AM > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Ecology Terminology Ecologist Landscape Re: > [ECOLOG-L] Marine Landscape Ecologist > > >> Wayne, as you probably know, we used to use terms such as "watershed >> management" to describe a more holistic approach to broad-area applied >> ecology. Wanting to make it geographically less exclusive and >> scientifically more refined, we started using the term "landscape >> ecology." >> >> That's an oversimplification, I know, but it's a useful term that makes >> sense to practitioners, decision-makers and bystanders. And "scape" in >> this >> sense comes from the Dutch "scap" which is related to "create" or "shape" >> (e.g., "landscaping" which produces a "landscape"). So the meaning of >> "landscape" was expanded to include natural areas which are already >> nature-"shaped." >> >> Warren W. Aney >> Senior Wildlife Ecologist >> Tigard, Oregon >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news >> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Wayne Tyson >> Sent: Friday, 16 April, 2010 23:09 >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Ecology Terminology Ecologist Landscape Re: >> [ECOLOG-L] >> Marine Landscape Ecologist >> >> What is a landscape ecologist? >> >> WT >> >> PS: "scape" comes from the root, "skep," meaning to cut or to hack. >> Ironic, >> given the current vernacular, no? >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Jim DeCoster" <[email protected]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Friday, April 16, 2010 9:42 AM >> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Marine Landscape Ecologist >> >> >>> Marine Landscape Ecologist - isn't that an oxymoron? >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:12:54 -0400 >>> From: Chris Jeffrey <[email protected]> >>> Subject: Job Announcement - Marine Landscape Ecologist >>> >>> *MARINE SCIENTIST NEEDED FOR CONTRACT POSITION WITH NATIONAL OCEANIC & >>> ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA)* >> >> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> ---- >> >> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2815 - Release Date: 04/16/10 >> 18:31:00 > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2817 - Release Date: 04/17/10 > 18:31:00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- No virus found in this incoming message. 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