Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Boxes
- Preface
- Prologue Environmental changes and ecosystem effects: two historical examples
- Section I History and concepts
- Chapter 1 History of ecology
- Chapter 2 Ecology, ecosystem and ecosystem science
- Chapter 3 Ecosystem ecology: cornerstones and scientific methodology
- Section II Ecosystem structure and function
- Section III Ecosystem dynamics at different time scales
- Section IV Applications
- Appendix 1 Abbreviations
- Appendix 2 Glossary
- Appendix 3 Some useful values and symbols used to represent them
- Appendix 4 Information and data on selected ecosystems
- References
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Chapter 1 - History of ecology
from Section I - History and concepts
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Boxes
- Preface
- Prologue Environmental changes and ecosystem effects: two historical examples
- Section I History and concepts
- Chapter 1 History of ecology
- Chapter 2 Ecology, ecosystem and ecosystem science
- Chapter 3 Ecosystem ecology: cornerstones and scientific methodology
- Section II Ecosystem structure and function
- Section III Ecosystem dynamics at different time scales
- Section IV Applications
- Appendix 1 Abbreviations
- Appendix 2 Glossary
- Appendix 3 Some useful values and symbols used to represent them
- Appendix 4 Information and data on selected ecosystems
- References
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
Understanding the present requires insights into the past. We will therefore briefly describe the development of ecology and ecosystem knowledge. In particular, we will follow how terrestrial ecosystem ecology has grown from early primitive ideas about Nature and how a natural science perspective gradually has become the foundation for investigating Nature and its function. From early ecology there has been a steady development, eventually leading to the introduction of the ecosystem concept. This development towards an independent discipline is, however, dependent on a number of basic disciplines. We see a number of ecological directions dealing with basic understanding, as well as applied questions, such as worldwide production of food and maintaining the ecosystems in a sustainable way. Major actors or profiles and their impact on the discipline are presented.
Protoecology
Mankind has always depended, and will always depend, on what Nature gives. We can read in historical documents how we have used plants and animals as the basis for our existence. In the Bible we meet the first professions of farming and cattle breeding. Medical plants are mentioned by Hippocrates (460–377 BC), as well as ideas about plant and animal life.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Terrestrial Ecosystem EcologyPrinciples and Applications, pp. 8 - 17Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011