Re: [ECOLOG-L] Conservation or just gardening?

[Mike Marsh]

I was just going to release Jason's message on the fertile ground of our 
Society news-list, but can't stand not to weigh in.
Dan Janzen's PNAS article, gardenification of tropical conserved 
wildlands  (probably - I only read the abstract), has it right, but his 
position is appicable to the whole planet. There is certainly no place 
on earth that our activities of extraction, cultivation, "gardening", 
and attempted restoration do not affect, so I'd call all of what we do 
gardening. We are applying the human mind and physical capabilities to 
getting something out of nature, whether it be simply the enjoyment (or 
sorrow) of the results of a restoration effort, or harvesting shrimp 
from a rapidly sinking Louisiana coastline (suggested reading, "Bayou 
Farewell" by Mike Tidwell),
There is no distinction by the satisfaction that we get out of the work: 
I get at least as much pleasure from attempted restoration of an urban 
ravine as I believe my neighbor gets from his flower garden, although I 
might be disheartened by the results. But them I think, "What novel 
communities are we humans creating as we spread Bromus tectorum across 
the western US landscape and Mahonia nervosa across northern Europe's 
forests. Shouldn't we study these as fait accompli (don't know the 
plural) rather than pushing back against them. Change happens, and 
evolution follows change.

Mike Marsh