History, National Parks, and Conservation Science in North America

Science, Conservation, and National Parks. Beissinger, S.R., D.D. Ackerly, H. Doremus, and G.E. Machlis, editors. 2017. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, U.S.A. US$45.00 (paperback). ISBN 978–0226423005. The Battle for Yellowstone: Morality and the Sacred Roots of Environmental Conflict. Farrell, J. 2015. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, U.S.A. US$42.00 (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-691-16434-2. Wild by Nature: North American Animals Confront Colonization. Smalley, A.L. 2017. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A. US$49.95 (hardcover). ISBN 978-1-4214-2235-0. These 3 books provide different perspectives on the significance of the natural environment on the health, welfare, and social history of human populations. Although the focus is on North America, the examples provided will be of relevance to an international readership. The 3 titles vary widely in scope, but the key concepts overlap, in particular, the importance of understanding the sociological, as well as the scientific and economic factors that influence conservation management decisions. In Science, Conservation, and National Parks, Beissinger et al. edited a collection of scientific papers presented at a conference (Science for Parks, Parks for Science: The Next Century) hosted by University of California, Berkeley in partnership with the National Geographic Society and the National Park Service (NPS) in March 2015. The meeting was timed to mark the centennial of the NPS and gathered a number of world-renowned experts to present science relevant to parks and protected areas in North America and globally. The book is divided into 4 sections: “Mission and Relevance of National Parks,” “Stewardship of Parks in a Changing World,” “Engaging People in Parks,” and the “Future of Science, Conservation and Parks,” each of which contains a number of well-referenced essays. Edward O. Wilson provides a useful introductory chapter in which he discusses parks, biodiversity, and education. He notes that “…earth is at, or approaching, an extinction rate of 1000 times above pre-human levels and the rate is accelerating…” (p. 9). He presents some options for how we can conserve the ecosystems that remain intact and, in a question and answer section, he makes the point that there is a need for these protected ecosystems to be connected. The first section of the book also includes a timely essay on the need to protect the marine environment. Decades of research indicate it is not enough to protect part of an ocean; rather, we need to protect the marine area around it as well (Earl & McKibben 2010; Ballentine 2014). Again, it is proposed that connectivity is the key. Current concerns about the influence of climate change on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and the ever-growing amount of pollution, including plastic waste, in the oceans are also examined. Later in the book there are several essays on the impact of habitat destruction and the value of national parks in protecting wildlife. The latter includes case studies from Yellowstone National Park, which has served as an excellent resource for documenting and monitoring species and environmental change and many consider a flagship for the NPS (Romme & Knight 1982; Duncan & Burns 2009). Science, Conservation, and National Parks is a valuable contribution to conservation science that will be of interest to conservation biologists and policy makers around the world. Although the case studies focus on North America, there is reference to international conservation efforts and the concepts presented offer insights into the important role that national parks play for human populations worldwide. As North America's first national park, Yellowstone National Park is recognized as the poster child of modern environmental conservation. However, the park and its surrounding regions have become a catalyst for political conflict among the federal government, NPS, environmentalists, industry, local residents, and elected officials (Clark 2008). In The Battle for Yellowstone: Morality and the Sacred Roots of Environmental Conflict, Justin Farrell provides a good overview of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and, taking a sociological perspective, he describes the ongoing moral debates with regard to the reintroduction of species, such as wolves, into the park and the controversy surrounding conservation management strategies for the iconic plains bison (Bison bison bison). He explores social change and describes the different human perspectives on the park over time. The book contains 5 key chapters and a carefully articulated introduction and conclusion. As well as wildlife, Farrell also examines the controversy around mining and drilling in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. This book includes original sociological research and should appeal to readers with an interest in the unintended consequences of conservation policy as well as in the history of Yellowstone National Park. Wild by Nature: North American Animals Confront Colonization by Andrea Smalley is a well-written book in which the author does an excellent job of placing wild animals at the center of the story of North American colonization. When Europeans first arrived in North America, the benefits and challenges of having abundant wild animals, including beaver, fish, deer, wolf, and bison, were evident. Early explorers, surveyors, and naturalists routinely promoted the magnificence of the rich North American fauna. However, as Smalley suggests, North American wildlife proved far less malleable to colonizers’ plans. Using carefully selected examples, she illustrates how beavers shaped North American history, especially in the north east (Virginia), and how, arriving from a land with few remaining large predators, European settlers found the presence of wolves, wild cats, and bears unsettling. Smalley also discusses the role that wildlife, especially deer, played in land-claim disputes and how the great bounty of fish and deer in the eastern states initially attracted colonists hoping to find a ready source of revenue and free food. Over time, when populations of fish declined, legislation was required to prevent overfishing, and legislation was followed by licensing. A similar situation occurred with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), which were bountiful in the 1700s when colonists claimed the right to hunt wild deer on and beyond their properties. Although indigenous peoples and colonists both enjoyed relatively open access to wild deer, this eventually lead to serious population declines. Another chapter illustrates how the plains bison shaped the history of the American West. Smalley adds interesting historical details, such as the attempts made by Spanish settlers to catch and tame wild bison. Sadly, in the 18th century the animals became less numerous due to their large-scale massacre by European colonists. Here she quotes Theodore Roosevelt (1885): ”The extermination of the buffalo (bison) has been a veritable tragedy of the animal world…” In the final chapter, she examines the recent rewild-the-wild trend. With the legal ground already broken, activists and politicians have produced new laws making wild animals the property of the state held for the people in common (Warren 1977). Clearly, wild animals left their mark on the history of North America, both as a resource and as an obstacle to the taming of the wilderness. In preparation for this book, Smalley, an assistant professor of history at Northern Illinois University, has done an excellent job compiling an extensive bibliography. She reviewed a varied, and often obscure, range of texts and articles with keen insight. Wild by Nature is a timely and persuasive book that will be of interest to academics and policy makers alike.

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