The combination of chapters 8 and 9 consist of one approving and one opposing viewpoint that Marris shares on ecological conservation. In Chapter 8 Marris introduces this new more aesthetically based conservation technique called designer ecosystems, while in chapter 9 she goes back to her original concept of creating rambunctious gardens. Using concepts already described in her book such as assisted migration, the Yellowstone Model, exotic species and radical rewilding Marris introduces these two contrasting ideas of what the future of conservation should look like.
Designer Ecosystems sounds exactly like what its supposed to mean. Designer Ecosystems, a term coined by Marris, is a conservation technique which is simply based on the idea of “whatever works” (127.) Rather than focusing on maintaining a historical baseline, ecologists have shifted their view to restoring for a “small measurable goal” such as “nitrogen reduction [or] sediment capture” (125.) For example with the endangered Galapagos Penguin, rather than ridding the environment of the invasive rats introduced, conservations have drilled more holes in the surrounding rocks to increase the nesting sites for birds. By human manipulation of an ecosystem, there is no need to eradicate all organisms after a particular baseline, but rather its about bettering the habitat. Famous Designer Ecologist Richard Hobbs agrees with this point by stating, “ecological history renders ecological restoration ‘quaint’” due to the ever-changing ecosystems around us (128.) However while this may sound as a better alternative to baseline restoration, Marris rightfully believes that it is not fair for us to manipulate nature by using our own “cobbled together” predictions of what organisms and the relationships between them should look like (130). She essentially believes that this concept of designer ecosystems is one where history becomes a “guide instead of a straitjacket” resulting in ecosystems that are primarily focused on being aesthetically pleasing (131.)
Marris continues on by eluding her entire theme of a Rambunctious Gardens in chapter 10. Her main theme of Conservation Everywhere is to use land everywhere including privately owned ranches, and bustling cities to create gardens and areas that add to the ecological movement by creating a sustainable use. This is based on the central idea of connectivity, which can be achieved through corridors. Marris simply lays out the term corridors as patches of areas that bring together the broken fragments in ecosystems. To get that scientists will have to patch together areas such as “parks, public lands of other types, private lands, state lands, tribal and so on and so forth” (138.) She uses the great example of the gigantic private ranches in taxes, whose owners are offered a juicy tax break if they keep land aside for so conservationists. In contrast, this is also useful in cities by the gardening of native species on ones terrace, or in the Duwamish River where the industry polluted river is now being cleaned with an “eco-industrial vision” in mind. Marris believes that “every owner and renter can make any space work for nearly any conservation goal’ (145.) The contrasting idea to designer ecosystems, is that instead of preserving and creating aesthetically pleasing environments it is more constructive to “fight to preserve and enhance nature as we have newly defined is, as the living background to human lives.” In accordance with Marris’ beliefs this seems to be the best way to win this desperate battle to conserve nature for me.
