The Evolution of American Ecology, 1890-2000
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Kingsland (history of science, The Johns Hopkins U.) examines how such seemingly disparate elements as the creation of the New York Botanical Garden and the reform of taxonomic practice combined to create a new understanding of how botanical, geological, and zoological systems not only work together but are absolutely interdependent. She also finds that the entrepreneurial imperative of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, combined with a heightened sense of the value of science, helped to drive individuals and segments of both the public and academia to develop a better understanding of how nature worked. She addresses the possibility that some had an ulterior motive in the development of ecological studies, such as to thwart rampant development or return to the political thoughts of the past about who owned the land, but notes that a seemingly diverse set of motives and actions somehow melded to become a serious science. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
