The Ecology Book

210

T

he American ecologist

Eugene Odum was not

the first scientist to write

about ecology, but in the 1950s he

proposed that it deserved to be a

discipline in its own right. Until

then, ecology was viewed as a

relatively insignificant subdivision

of the biological sciences—the poor

relation of biology, zoology, and

botany. However, Odum believed

passionately that studying plant

and animal species in isolation

could never lead to a full knowledge

of the living world. He argued that

it was more important to study the

places and roles that the species

held in their community, rather

than simply finding out more

about what they were. Odum’s

Salt marshes, such as these on the

coast near Porthmadog, North Wales,

form their own ecosystem, with the

seawater and its nutrients providing

a unique habitat for wildlife.

IN CONTEXT

KEY FIGURE

Eugene Odum (1913–2002)

BEFORE

1905 In Research Methods in

Ecology, American botanist

Frederic Clements writes

about plant communities and

how they change over time.

1935 Arthur Tansley, a British

botanist, proposes the term

“ecosystem” to describe a

community of plants, animals,

soil minerals, water, and air.

AFTER

1954 Eugene and Howard

Odum’s study of the coral

Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific

Ocean applies the principles

of holistic ecology.

1974 British environmentalist

James Lovelock and American

biologist Lynn Margulis first

publish their Gaia hypothesis.

It states that Earth is a self-

regulating system that

maintains the conditions

necessary for life on our planet.

WE TAKE NATURE’S

SERVICES FOR GRANTED

BECAUSE WE DON’T PAY

FOR THEM

A HOLISTIC VIEW OF EARTH

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