The History of Conservation Biology

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The History of Conservation Biology
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After the revolutions of the 1700s, the general
public had greatly increased access to natural
resources. Soon afterwards, the Industrial
Revolution made those resources more easily
exploited.
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• Five major eras of conservation activity have
  occurred in the last 150 years
• The disappearance of the eastern wildnerness
  1850-1865.
• The closing of the western frontier 1890-1905.
• The Dust Bowl era 1930-1940.
• Population explosion and environmental pollution
  1960-1975.
• The biodiversity crisis 1990-?.

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The Disappearance of the Eastern Wilderness
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In the middle of the 19th Century, much of the
eastern portion of the United States had been
tamed. The forests that had covered that
portion of the continent had been greatly
diminished, replaced by farms and towns.
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At the same time, biology was undergoing a
revolution, best typified by the publication of
Darwins The Origin of Species in 1859. Placed
humans as a part of nature rather than separate
from it.
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A key point of Darwins theory, still not
completely recognized, is that organisms are
adapted to a particular environment. If that
environment changes, organisms face the threat of
extinction.
Passenger pigeon
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As the eastern wilderness disappeared, there was
a recognition by writers and essayists of its
aesthetic value.
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Henry Thoreau suggested that every township
should have a park, or a wilderness area, that
they maintained for instructional purposes.
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The idea of parks was carried forward by several
individuals. One of the most influential was
Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903).
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Among many other projects, Olmsted designed New
York Citys Central Park. This was an effort to
preserve a specimen of Gods handiwork.
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The Closing of the Western Frontier
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• By the close of the 19th Century
• Western settlement had reached the Pacific.
• Ecology was emerging as a science.

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John Muir became Americas most influential
naturalist and conservationist.
John Muir - 1893
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Muir was particularly interested in the mountains
of California and Alaska. He became the first
president of the Sierra Club.
John Muir with Teddy Roosevelt
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• During this period, several federal agencies were
  established for the management of natural
  resources
• National Forest System 1891
• Division of Forestry of USDA 1898
• United States Bureau of Reclamation - 1902
• United States National Wildlife Refuge system
  1903.
• United States Forest Service 1905

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Pelican Island Refuge, in the Indian River lagoon
on Floridas east coast, was the first national
wildlife refuge. It provided protection for
egrets and other wading birds.
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Also during this period, the nations national
park system expanded greatly.
Yosemite
Mt. Rainier
Sequoia, Mt. Rainier and Yosemite National Parks
were created during the 1890s.
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As of 2006, there were 58 officially designated
parks within the National Park Service. In
addition, there are many national monuments,
national preserves, national historic sites, and
other designations.
Shenandoah National Park, VA
Virgin Islands National Park, USVI
National Park Service
Congaree National Park, SC
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The Dust Bowl Era
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After the turn of the century, continuing
population growth and the Great Depression led to
the spread of agriculture into marginal lands.
In the 1930s, the South was plagued by floods
and erosion, while droughts and wind hit the
central plains.
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Conditions reached the extreme on Black Sunday
April 14, 1935,
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This led to a recognition of the fragility of the
land, and a greater understanding of the way in
which human activity was linked to the
environment.
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Another influential figure was Paul Sears
(1891-1989). He wrote Deserts on the March in
1935, dramatizing the crises of land water
management that were plaguing many areas of the
nation. Later, he chaired the Yale Conservation
Program, the first graduate program in
conservation science in the U.S.
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During the 1930s, under the presidency of
Franklin Roosevelt, federal agencies were
established that were aimed at crises related to
land and water management. The most
notable Tennessee Valley Authority 1933 Soil
Conservation Service - 1935
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The Population Explosion and Environmental
Pollution (1960-1975)
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1962 - Rachel Carson expressed her concerns about
pesticides in Silent Spring.
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In 1968, Paul Ehrlichs The Population Bomb
expressed his concerns that the rapid growth of
human population would lead to increasing
problems.
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There are those who disagree. Julian Simon was a
primary proponent of the concucopian belief in
endless benefits from resources and unlimited
population growth empowered by technological
progress. His works are often cited by
libertarians.
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On June 22, 1969, the Cuyahoga River in
Cleveland, Ohio caught fire, leading to a Time
Magazine article and an increased concern about
water pollution.
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The Sixties and Seventies saw a great deal of
conservation legislation.
Wilderness Act 1964 Established an effective
system of wilderness areas in national forests,
parks, and wildlife refuges. Establishment of
Environmental Protection Agency 1970 Charged
with maintaining an environment safe for humans
and wildlife. National Environmental Policy Act
1970 Established a requirement for an
environmental impact assessment for projects
involving federal support or approval. Endangered
Species Conservation Act 1973 Designates,
protects and encourages the recovery of
endangered species.
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The Biodiversity Crisis
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• Paleontologists recognize five major mass
  extinctions in the history of the earth
• One extinction shortly after the evolution of the
  first land-based plants, about 450 million years
  ago.
• One about 350 million years ago which led to the
  formation of the coal forests.
• Two major extinctions during the Triassic period,
  between 250 and 200 million years ago.
• The great extinction at the end of the Cretaceous
  Period, about 65 million years ago. This was
  probably caused by an asteroid impact and led to
  the extinction of the dinosaurs.

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Many biologists believe that we are currently in
the midst of a sixth major extinction. The
cause? Us.
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Alabama native Edward O. Wilson has become one of
the leading advocates of biodiversity, and has
published extensively on the subject.
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• Concerns over biodiversity have led to a number
  of developments
• Computerized databases and species inventories.
• Modelling
• National Heritage Programs (State Level)
• Gap Analysis Programs (State Level)
• National Biological Service (Federal Level)
• Society for Conservation Biology

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Alabama Natural Heritage Program
GAP Analysis Program
Mississippi Natural Heritage Program
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What does the future hold? The degradative
effects of many activities will likely continue,
at least for a while. Among these Use of
fossil fuel Release of industrial
chemicals Tropical deforestation Mismanagement
of arid lands