Law and Ecology (Ecology and Law in Modern Society Series): The Rise of The ecoysytem Regime

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In 1970, Earth Day was first celebrated marking the dawn of worldwide environmental consciousness and the passing of many environmental laws. In part, these events were the result of the maturing of the science of ecology which recognized the interdependence of the web and cycles of nature. This volume explores the relationship between ecology and environmental law, beginning with a description of the two very different disciplines. This description is followed by a history of their episodic interactions: the early period of origin, the mid-century formative period from 1950 to 1970, the initial serious period of interaction after Earth Day in 1970 and the testing of the relationship during the next two decades. In this testing period of the history of the two disciplines, four distinct patterns of interaction are uncovered. Utilizing a number of case studies the volume goes on to analyze the final flowering of ecosystem regime - place-based, species-based and global earth systems in the 1990's. The rise of ecosystem regimes embraces both ecology and environmental law. This rise of ecosystem regimes and the connections between the two disciplines is made possible through "linkage persons", "bridge documents" (legal instruments embodying law and ecology), the migration of ecological concepts into legal regulations (such as diversity), and the rise of multi-disciplinary frameworks, (including the concept of regime itself).