THE NEW NATURAL HISTORY-ECOLOGY 



493 



similar knowletlge as well of ecological ideas, 

 ideals, and principles in order to get the best 

 results from this line of work. 



At the present time, perhaps the main 

 scientific value of the ecological standpoint 

 is in its marked synthetic tendency. A vast 

 number of isolated facts, ideas, and even 

 principles, have drifted about, or have lived 

 isolated lives, pigeon-holed in some of the 

 allied sciences, but have not been known or 

 fully utilized in zoology. Various physical 

 sciences, with their refined methods, have 

 made important discoveries in ideas of 

 dynamics which are of the greatest value in 

 animal study. The same is true of certain 

 similar conceptions in geology, physiography, 

 meteorology, geography, and plant ecology. 

 In all these fields the active or dynamic 

 phases have made great strides, and often 

 with more clearness and intelligence than in 

 zoology. From geology arrives a time per- 

 spective secured from no other source ; from 

 physiography, geography, and meteorology 

 come ideas of the gross physical processes 

 which furnish the only proper background for 

 understanding chemical and physiological 

 processes and stimuli which influence ani- 

 mals. The ultimate dependence of animals 

 upon plants for food, and the indirect influ- 

 ence of vegetation upon the environment, are 

 a revelation to the old school naturalists when 

 presented to them in modern form. The 

 laboratory contributes in a similar manner 

 from physics, chemistry, biochemistry, physi- 

 ology, and studies of behavior; and finally, 

 ecology acts as a focusing lens which con- 

 verges light from all the sciences upon its 

 own and allied economic problems. We must 

 remember that the economics of man is a 

 phase of human ecology. In the synthetical 

 relational tendency of ecology the dynamic 

 conceptions from the allied sciences flow 

 naturally into zoology when animals are 

 properly related to their whole environment. 

 In this manner ecology is enriched and in- 

 vigorated by support coming direct from the 

 moHt recent conceptions of the sciences fun- 

 damental to it. 



Ecology and Human Economics 



The economic problems relating animals 

 to man have been, and are today, largely 

 handled V)y the rule of thumb, although there 

 are some striking exceptions. The reason for 

 this is pro})ably the fact that practice is 



gonerally in advance of the scientific ex- 

 planation. In application we are yet at 

 work on the scientific foundations; the struc- 

 ture itself stands, in part, upon a temporary 

 or "frame" support. Never will the time 

 arrive when action always can be delayed 

 until we have a full scientific information, 

 and yet such must remain our ideal. 



Many of the animal problems are attacked 

 without regard to their being ecological in 

 nature, and often without benefiting from 

 progress already made in ecology. In spite 

 of this disadvantage, important progress is 

 made, although at a high cost, and we are 

 reminded constantly that better work could 

 have been done with the same efi'ort had 

 these workers utilized completely the results 

 already obtained. 



Good examples of practical ecological 

 proVjlems are those which deal with the rela- 

 tion of animals to disease, and to the pro- 

 duction of animal crops from the fields, for- 

 ests, and waters, both marine and fresh. 

 The ecological character of many agricul- 

 tural problems is realized only slightly by 

 many of its leaders; the ecological char- 

 acter of aquatic problems is realized prob- 

 ably more clearly, but in practice it lags 

 far behind agriculture; while the ecological 

 understanding of animal crops from forest 

 lands and waters — and of game in general- 

 is only beginning to be realized in this coun- 

 try. The intelligent management of the ani- 

 mal life of our national parks and all animal 

 preserves is dependent upon our knowledge 

 of the ecology of these animals ; and we shall 

 succeed in their proper care and use in pro 

 portion to our mastery of their ecology and 

 its applications. 



The Future: World Leadership 

 The remarkably rapid rise of ecological 

 work in America is one of the most sig- 

 nificant recent advances of science in this 

 country. Plant and animal ecology probably 

 receive more attention from American uni- 

 versities and museums than from those of 

 all other countries combined. The botanical 

 side has perhaps grown more rapidly than 

 the zoological, at least consciously. Since 

 1902, when at the University of Chicago the 

 writer gave the first university course in gen- 

 eral animal ecology, with lectures, laboratory 

 and field work, this kind of study has grown 

 up in many universities, and has become 

 permanently established. Looking back over 



