Tropical Ecological and Biocultural Restoration

Abstract

Tropical wildlands (restored or preserved) are intellectual bumps on a verdant agroscape. Wildlands play the same societal roles as do libraries, universities, museums, symphony halls, and newspapers. They must be integrated with the educational system just as are these other complex information storage and transfer systems. And their restoration and use can generate the same class of protective responsibility by their society. The restoration and management process may easily be carried out by the adjacent agroecosystem as an exercise in biomanipulation. It will therefore be much better understood, less feared, and more desired as a neighbor than is often the case with initially intact wildland preserves. Study of the multiple routes back to a restored wildland will unquestionably yield information of very substantial value to the surrounding agroecosystem. And all this is to say that humans have won the battle against nature. Humanity makes its living by preventing restoration. It is up to us to accept the responsibility of putting the vanquished back on their feet, paws, and roots. We can do it. Even defeated, tropical nature has too much to offer for us to accept a world without it.