In chapter eight of her book, Rambunctious Garden, Emma Marris introduces the concept of a designer ecosystem. The idea is to establish and achieve a goal for an ecosystem without expending a vast amount of resources in the process. In addition, Marris also discusses the notion that conservation can be implemented everywhere through a combination of designer ecosystems and other methods discussed in previous chapters.
To begin, designer ecosystems seem to be the most practical approach that Marris has described regarding conservation because it is cost effective and goal oriented. First, scientists decide what goal is most important to them concerning a specific ecosystem. Then, they go about implementing only the changes that will help achieve their particular goal. Meaning, they do not waste time and resources attempting to revert to the baseline in hopes of recreating an ecosystem that is not guaranteed to survive in our current climate (179). Instead, scientists are able to ensure that a certain species or ecological function remains intact by focusing on that specific species or function. For example, Dee Boersma, an ecologist at the University of Washington, wanted to protect the population of Galapagos penguins from introduced rats. As a result, he drilled nesting holes into the rocks of their ecosystem, making it difficult for the rats to prey on the eggs (183). Hence, by focusing on preserving the penguins, Brown was able to find a cost effective solution that allowed the penguin to survive predation without having to control the rat population. Altogether, this idea suggests that there are efficient ways of achieving what we desire in an ecosystem without going back to the baseline or trying to achieve the pristine.
In chapter nine, Marris makes a general claim that conservation involves thinking beyond the protected areas by continuously adding lands to the portfolio. Meaning, we should consider nature in unlikely places such as industrial rivers, farms, and even our own backyards. Hence, the effort to conserve is always complemented by adding land to the mix. This is extremely beneficial because it creates larger natural areas, making it easier for big species to avoid extinction (196). Scientists don’t agree completely on the methods to use, but many advocate creating small reserves in private gardens, yards, rooftops, etc. as a way of starting the process without having to rely on big corporations or the government. However, Marris correctly points out that to create a movement behind such conservation, it will require both a change in aesthetics and a change in the values we hold toward nature. As a result, we need to embrace nature that is not pristine and begin to see value in nature that exists in the background of human lives.
Altogether, Marris’s description of designer ecosystems as goal oriented and cost effective makes it easy to support it over the traditional approach. In addition, her idea that conservation can be accomplished in the most unlikely of places gives hope to the movement because everyone can do their part by creating little reserves in the backdrop of their living environment.
