Restoring the Balance by John A. Vucetich;

Author:John A. Vucetich;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Published: 2021-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

During the 1960s, an ice bridge formed in about three of every four winters. We warmed our climate, and the frequency of ice bridges fell. By 2016, we expect an ice bridge just once every 8 or 10 years. By some forecasts, Lake Superior is expected to be largely ice-free by 2040.

For a few decades, and as late as 2008, we believed the wolf population was severely inbred due to its being completely isolated. We further believed the population had not been impaired by inbreeding. We could not have been more wrong on both counts.

The value of observing nature in one place for a long time might seem to be the gradual accretion of knowledge—painting one thin layer of new knowledge over the old, over and over, until it develops a shimmering patina of deep insight. Those have not been the lessons offered by Isle Royale. Rather, we observe intently, study hard, and consider all manner of explanations, saving only the unassailable ones. Later, the explanation that we had settled on with the aid of scrutinizing peers is upended.

Had we stopped watching at any point along the way, we would have been quite happy to carry thoughts that were quite wrong. The danger in paying attention for only a short while is developing a strong sense for an erroneous idea. It might be better to have not paid attention at all.

The patina never builds. Repeatedly, we strip away old layers and replace them with new layers.40 The balance of nature becomes a broken balance. Connectedness and rejuvenation are mistaken for isolation and desolation. What we told ourselves was untouched by humans has fingerprints, fresh and old. What we accrete best are disproven ideas. Somehow, if not ironically, it brings us closer to some truth.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.