Beyond Preservation

Restoring and Inventing Landscapes

1993

A. Dwight Baldwin Jr., Judith De Luce, and Carl Pletsch, editors

“Bold theses promote controversy: this book is sure to find itself at the center of a philosophical firestorm. Are restoration ecologists ‘Lord Man’ reincarnate? Or are they imaginative visionaries in quest of a Leopoldian rapprochement with the land? The essays herein challenge readers to sharpen their thinking and reconsider their place in a complex ecosocial terrain.” --Max Oelschlaeger “The best book on the subject to date.” --Michael Polan, Harper’s Contributors include Gary W. Barrett, Ann Cline, David L. Gorchov, William Jordan III, G. Stanley Kane, Jack Temple Kirby, Dora G. Lodwick, Orie L. Loucks, Kimberly E. Medley, Constance Pierce, Ellen Price, Frederick Turner, John E. Wierwille, and Gene E. Willeke.

“Bold theses promote controversy: this book is sure to find itself at the center of a philosophical firestorm. Are restoration ecologists ‘Lord Man’ reincarnate? Or are they imaginative visionaries in quest of a Leopoldian rapprochement with the land? The essays herein challenge readers to sharpen their thinking and reconsider their place in a complex ecosocial terrain.” --Max Oelschlaeger

“The best book on the subject to date.” --Michael Polan, Harper’s

Contributors include Gary W. Barrett, Ann Cline, David L. Gorchov, William Jordan III, G. Stanley Kane, Jack Temple Kirby, Dora G. Lodwick, Orie L. Loucks, Kimberly E. Medley, Constance Pierce, Ellen Price, Frederick Turner, John E. Wierwille, and Gene E. Willeke.

Ecological restoration is the most helpful and provocative contribution to our thinking about nature to come along in many years, and Beyond Preservation is without a doubt the best book on the subject to date.

Michael Polan, Harper’s

Beyond Preservation was first published in 1993. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions.

Addressing current ecological issues, from the philosophical to the practical, Frederick Turner and William R. Jordan III Here offer a new paradigm for understanding the relationship between the humans and nature. Challenging the idea that preserving nature is the only solution to environmental problems, they advocate going beyond preservation to restoration and actual construction of our landscape. Fifteen respondents reflect on the implications and consequences of Turner’s and Jordan’s bold proposals.

“Ecological restoration is the most helpful and provocative contribution to our thinking about nature to come along in many years, and Beyond Preservation is without a doubt the best book on the subject to date.” Michael Polan, Harper’s

Contributors include Gary W. Barrett, Ann Cline, David L. Gorchov, William Jordan III, G. Stanley Kane, Jack Temple Kirby, Dora G. Lodwick, Orie L. Loucks, Kimberly E. Medley, Constance Pierce, Ellen Price, Frederick Turner, John E. Wierwille, and Gene E. Willeke.

A. Dwight Baldwin, Jr., is Professor Emeritus, Department of Geology, Miami University, Ohio.

Ecological restoration is the most helpful and provocative contribution to our thinking about nature to come along in many years, and Beyond Preservation is without a doubt the best book on the subject to date.

Michael Polan, Harper’s

With this book I've finally understood: The relationship of conservation biology to restoration ecology is like that of participle physics to cosmology.

Michael Gilpin, University of California-San Diego

Bold theses promote controversy: This book is sure to find itself at the center of a philosophical firestorm. Are restoration ecologists ‘Lord Man’ reincarnate? Or are they imaginative visionaries in quest of a Leopoldian rapprochement with the land? The essays herein challenge readers to sharpen their thinking and reconsider their place in a complex ecosocial terrain.

Max Oelschlaeger, Philosopher, University of North Texas

Wilderness exists, although to some degree it is a state of mind. It is both sad and encouraging that humanity is debating preservation, restoration, and creation of landscapes. Beyond Preservation: Restoring and Inventing Landscapes will improve your understanding of this multifaceted debate, landscape changes (both natural and human-induced), the importance of biodiversity, niches that house diverse species, and our life-support system. Over the next 40 years Earth will be struck by a "bolide of humans" equal to all the humans currently on Earth. Their activity in obtaining energy, food, housing, clothing, and other "stuff", and in generating waste, will accelerate landscape change and could ultimately have an impact as devastating as a collision with an asteroid or large meteorite. Whether you hold an ecological, anthropological, or pseudo ecological (we are part of nature so anything we do is OK) view of nature, this examination of our interaction with landscape must be read and reread. Here the arts and the sciences address a future that will depend on ethical as well as knowledgeable approaches to our problems. Essential reading for anyone looking forward to 2050-the time when today's child retires.

Garry McKenzie, Ohio State University

A provocative and inspiring set of essays about the issues surrounding the conservation and preservation of natural resources systems and human participation in the overall equation. If our desire is to sustain such systems, the interplay of society and culture with nature must be recognized and clearly a new paradigm to do so merits examination. Regardless of one philosophical disposition, a 21st Century language about nature is defined and debated that will influence park, forest and in general all natural resource management practices in the future. there is considerable intellectual commonsense presented here for environmentalists and professional resource managers alike.

Donald R. Field, Associate Dean and Director, School of Natural Resources, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison