Environmental ethics, environmentalism, nature conservation and green politics
are relatively new terms. Related activities, money invested and percentage values of
protected regions have increased in almost all countries in the world in recent
decades.
The history of human influence on ecosystems and species compositions, on the
risk and rate of extinction of diverse species, and on effective biodiversity conservation management shows a growing interest not only in the field of ecology after the
Second World War but also in the recent debate about the meaning of historical
events and continuity, about climate and land use change. The evolutionary and
historical aspect is also receiving more and more attention in scientific fields such as
ecology and biogeography as a means of better understanding ecosystems and
species assemblages (LaFreniere 2007; Herrmann 2016; Brooks et al. 2006; Martin
and Klein 1989).
However, the current objective ecosystem and biodiversity crisis is accompanied
by a social crisis of insufficient scientific reflection and education.
Insects, for example, are declining in quantity (1), the number of pages in school
books and other teaching material about insects is decreasing as well (2), and natural
history and taxonomy are also declining as scientific disciplines at the universities
(3) even if public awareness of the biodiversity crisis, including insects, may be on
the rise. The crisis of taxonomy and field ecology/natural history has to do with the
dynamics and development of science at the universities. This dilemma pertains to
other disciplines as well (Bacher 2012; Tewksbury et al. 2014; Bik 2017; Koch
2019).
3 Discussion and Conclusion
The description of historically important events and processes and the scientific
reflection on nature-culture relations of the past is strongly influenced by recent
environmental movements, awareness and perception, including fear and beliefs.
The related biases are discussed with respect to constructivism, confirmation bias
and media theories (e.g. Kempf 2006).
Modern environmental history has a strong focus on climate change, which is
often described as the biggest problem of the human community in the twenty-first
century.
Water and air quality or the biodiversity crisis are also picked out as central
themes in general scientific discussions and media from time to time. Landscape
history focuses on regional landscape ecology and landscape archaeology, mainly of
rural areas. Thus, both the media and scientific publications pay much less attention
to ecosystem change than to climate change.
Moreover, there is no guarantee that the picture of environmental history painted
here can provide the most important processes and events to understand the present
or to look into the future.
12
C. Hobohm
are relatively new terms. Related activities, money invested and percentage values of
protected regions have increased in almost all countries in the world in recent
decades.
The history of human influence on ecosystems and species compositions, on the
risk and rate of extinction of diverse species, and on effective biodiversity conservation management shows a growing interest not only in the field of ecology after the
Second World War but also in the recent debate about the meaning of historical
events and continuity, about climate and land use change. The evolutionary and
historical aspect is also receiving more and more attention in scientific fields such as
ecology and biogeography as a means of better understanding ecosystems and
species assemblages (LaFreniere 2007; Herrmann 2016; Brooks et al. 2006; Martin
and Klein 1989).
However, the current objective ecosystem and biodiversity crisis is accompanied
by a social crisis of insufficient scientific reflection and education.
Insects, for example, are declining in quantity (1), the number of pages in school
books and other teaching material about insects is decreasing as well (2), and natural
history and taxonomy are also declining as scientific disciplines at the universities
(3) even if public awareness of the biodiversity crisis, including insects, may be on
the rise. The crisis of taxonomy and field ecology/natural history has to do with the
dynamics and development of science at the universities. This dilemma pertains to
other disciplines as well (Bacher 2012; Tewksbury et al. 2014; Bik 2017; Koch
2019).
3 Discussion and Conclusion
The description of historically important events and processes and the scientific
reflection on nature-culture relations of the past is strongly influenced by recent
environmental movements, awareness and perception, including fear and beliefs.
The related biases are discussed with respect to constructivism, confirmation bias
and media theories (e.g. Kempf 2006).
Modern environmental history has a strong focus on climate change, which is
often described as the biggest problem of the human community in the twenty-first
century.
Water and air quality or the biodiversity crisis are also picked out as central
themes in general scientific discussions and media from time to time. Landscape
history focuses on regional landscape ecology and landscape archaeology, mainly of
rural areas. Thus, both the media and scientific publications pay much less attention
to ecosystem change than to climate change.
Moreover, there is no guarantee that the picture of environmental history painted
here can provide the most important processes and events to understand the present
or to look into the future.
12
C. Hobohm