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Perlman - Practical Ecology for Planners, Developers and Citizens - Chapter 4

P a r t Tw o THE SCIENCE OF ECOLOGY In his essay “Must We Shoot Deer to Save Nature?” conservation biologist Jared Diamond poses a difficult but common dilemma by relating the story of Fontenelle Forest, a 1,300-acre nature reserve near Omaha, Nebraska. | Part Two THE SCIENCE OF ECOLOGY In his essay Must We Shoot Deer to Save Nature conservation biologist Jared Diamond poses a difficult but common dilemma by relating the story of Fontenelle Forest a 1 300-acre 530 ha nature reserve near Omaha Nebraska.1 Here in the absence of native predators such as wolves deer have become so plentiful that they have eaten most of the seedlings and underbrush changing the forest s ecology profoundly and limiting its ability to regenerate. Suburban and exurban communities throughout North America face similar challenges when deer populations spiral out of control causing not only ecological changes but also dangers and nuisances to humans ranging from increased incidence of Lyme disease and deer-vehicle collisions to crops and gardens devoured by these herbivores. At Fontenelle Forest and elsewhere decision makers must choose from among uncomfortable options do nothing and allow the deer to ravage native vegetation or intervene by killing or sterilizing native animals that have obvious public appeal. To address such ecological challenges land use professionals need to understand how populations and ecosystems function. The next three chapters present a brief introduction to the science of ecology focusing on those subdisciplines that are most relevant to planners designers and developers. One effect of the deer population in Fontenelle Forest if not controlled would be to change the mix of species in the forest as mature trees gradually die and are replaced mainly by those species that are unpalatable to deer. In Chapter 4 we discuss this phenomenon of ecosystem change over time which can result from such factors as the interplay of different species the influence of human activities e.g. farming and logging and the effect of physical events e.g. fires and storms . These changes may be rapid or slow predictable or unpredictable but all play major roles in shaping the ecology of a given area. 52 THE SCIENCE OF ECOLOGY Especially .