cloth, 211 p., $27
As land becomes increasingly unavailable for conservation purposes — either for setting aside original habitat or for restoration projects that restore the ecology to the original state — author Michael Rosenzweig believes that mankind must share its living space deliberately with other species. In his bookWin–Win Ecology: How the Earth’s Species Can Survive in the Midst of Human Enterprise, he proposes a new strategy, a policy of “reconciliation ecology,” and cites examples of habitats that have proved to be accommodating to both man and animal through careful planning.
The first step in reconciliation ecology is to study the needs of each species, and then diversify the habitats within the landscape to fulfill the requirements of many. Although Rosenzweig urges groups within the private sector to bond together for the common purpose of providing suitable environments, he states that threatened and endangered species are significantly better off if they live on federal land that is managed. He reports that a very positive step in reconciling the use of land by humans with good stewardship is the policy of Safe Harbor, designed by the Environmental Defense Fund to benefit wild species. It promises a better future for management of private lands.
The author uses his experiences in the field of evolutionary ecology to support his point that it is better if species try to live together harmoniously rather than separately.
— Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden