## **American Perceptions of Immigrant and Invasive Species: Strangers on the Land**
Delve into the captivating depths of Peter Coates' literary masterpiece, "American Perceptions of Immigrant and Invasive Species: Strangers on the Land," and embark on an intellectual odyssey that unravels the intricate tapestry of human-nature interactions.
Prepare to be captivated as Coates masterfully illuminates the complex landscape of perception and its profound impact on our understanding of both our own species and the natural world around us. Through a meticulously crafted narrative, intricately woven with historical insights, scientific research, and compelling anecdotes, Coates explores the ways in which people have perceived and interacted with non-native species throughout American history.
Uncover the profound influence that these perceptions have had on our policies, our attitudes, and even our sense of national identity. Coates adeptly navigates the treacherous waters of environmentalism, immigration, and social justice, exposing the ways in which our biases and preconceptions shape our responses to the strangers in both our land and our society.
Discover the profound wisdom of Aldo Leopold, whose pioneering work in ecology forever transformed our understanding of the interconnectedness of all living things. Witness the clash between conservationists and agriculturalists as they grapple with the complex trade-offs inherent in managing non-native species. Confront the uncomfortable truths of racism and xenophobia that have permeated our attitudes towards immigrants and invasive species alike.
Through a mesmerizing fusion of scholarship and storytelling, Coates challenges us to question our own assumptions and to embrace a more nuanced and compassionate perspective on the natural world and its inhabitants. "American Perceptions of Immigrant and Invasive Species: Strangers on the Land" is a literary triumph that will resonate with scholars, conservationists, historians, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the human condition.
Sometimes by accident and sometimes on purpose, humans have transported plants and animals to new habitats around the world. Arriving in ever-increasing numbers to American soil, recent invaders have competed with, preyed on, hybridized with, and carried diseases to native species, transforming our ecosystems and creating anxiety among environmentalists and the general public. But is American anxiety over this crisis of ecological identity a recent phenomenon? Charting shifting attitudes to alien species since the 1850s, Peter Coates brings to light the rich cultural and historical aspects of this story by situating the history of immigrant flora and fauna within the wider context of human immigration. Through an illuminating series of particular invasions, including the English sparrow and the eucalyptus tree, what he finds is that we have always perceived plants and animals in relation to ourselves and the polities to which we belong. Setting the saga of human relations with the environment in the broad context of scientific, social, and cultural history, this thought-provoking book demonstrates how profoundly notions of nationality and debates over race and immigration have shaped American understandings of the natural world.
Author: Coates, Peter
Publisher: University of California Press
Illustration: N
Language: ENG
Title: American Perceptions of Immigrant and Invasive Species: Strangers on the Land
Pages: 00266 (Encrypted PDF)
On Sale: 2007-01-15
SKU-13/ISBN: 9780520249301
Category: Nature : Environmental Conservation & Protection - General
Category: Nature : Ecology
Category: Nature : Plants - General
