Proactive ecology for the Anthropocene
Abstract The rapid, directional global changes that characterize the Anthropocene provide unprecedented opportunities for ecologists and other scientists to discover new paradigms that shape our understanding of the ways that the world is changing. These paradigms will likely focus more strongly on...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BioOne
2013-12-01
|
| Series: | Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://elementascience.org/article/info:doi/10.12952/journal.elementa.000013 |
| _version_ | 1819074049215561728 |
|---|---|
| author | F. Stuart Chapin Erica Fernandez |
| author_facet | F. Stuart Chapin Erica Fernandez |
| author_sort | F. Stuart Chapin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The rapid, directional global changes that characterize the Anthropocene provide unprecedented opportunities for ecologists and other scientists to discover new paradigms that shape our understanding of the ways that the world is changing. These paradigms will likely focus more strongly on interactions, feedbacks, thresholds, and model uncertainty than on steady-state dynamics and statistical uncertainty. We advocate a shift in ecology and other disciplines to a more proactive leadership role in defining problems and possibilities in a rapidly changing world rather than being relegated to a reactive role of trying to fix the problems after the horse has left the barn. This requires not only renewed commitment by ecologists (and other citizens) to a more proactive ethic of environmental citizenship but also institutional changes in education, the scientific review and funding processes, and promotion and tenure processes to encourage and celebrate those who seek to shape trajectories toward greater ecosystem and social resilience and well-being. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T18:03:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1b3299d845c247c1804233f7b3bc8ae5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2325-1026 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T18:03:20Z |
| publishDate | 2013-12-01 |
| publisher | BioOne |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene |
| spelling | doaj.art-1b3299d845c247c1804233f7b3bc8ae52022-12-21T18:55:01ZengBioOneElementa: Science of the Anthropocene2325-10262013-12-0110.12952/journal.elementa.000013ELEMENTA-D-14-00003Proactive ecology for the AnthropoceneF. Stuart ChapinErica FernandezAbstract The rapid, directional global changes that characterize the Anthropocene provide unprecedented opportunities for ecologists and other scientists to discover new paradigms that shape our understanding of the ways that the world is changing. These paradigms will likely focus more strongly on interactions, feedbacks, thresholds, and model uncertainty than on steady-state dynamics and statistical uncertainty. We advocate a shift in ecology and other disciplines to a more proactive leadership role in defining problems and possibilities in a rapidly changing world rather than being relegated to a reactive role of trying to fix the problems after the horse has left the barn. This requires not only renewed commitment by ecologists (and other citizens) to a more proactive ethic of environmental citizenship but also institutional changes in education, the scientific review and funding processes, and promotion and tenure processes to encourage and celebrate those who seek to shape trajectories toward greater ecosystem and social resilience and well-being.http://elementascience.org/article/info:doi/10.12952/journal.elementa.000013Anthropoceneresiliencestewardship |
| spellingShingle | F. Stuart Chapin Erica Fernandez Proactive ecology for the Anthropocene Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene Anthropocene resilience stewardship |
| title | Proactive ecology for the Anthropocene |
| title_full | Proactive ecology for the Anthropocene |
| title_fullStr | Proactive ecology for the Anthropocene |
| title_full_unstemmed | Proactive ecology for the Anthropocene |
| title_short | Proactive ecology for the Anthropocene |
| title_sort | proactive ecology for the anthropocene |
| topic | Anthropocene resilience stewardship |
| url | http://elementascience.org/article/info:doi/10.12952/journal.elementa.000013 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fstuartchapin proactiveecologyfortheanthropocene AT ericafernandez proactiveecologyfortheanthropocene |