What We Are Fighting Against

It's been a rough morning in blogland. A bunch of folks are posting stuff that is elevating my blood pressure. The worst, via Andrew Sullivan

"When we just saw that man, I think it was Mr. Myers [i.e. biologist P.Z. Myers], talking about how great scientists were, I was thinking to myself the last time any of my relatives saw scientists telling them what to do they were telling them to go to the showers to get gassed … that was horrifying beyond words, and that’s where science — in my opinion, this is just an opinion — that’s where science leads you," - Ben Stein.

I do hope that Mr. Stein and his relatives aren't taking any of their doctors' advice about their health care. After all, that's just evil, immoral scientists telling them what to do, and we all know where that leads. This isn't a potitical blog. I have talked about politics very infrequently here. But the assault from the right wing these days on reason and science cannot go unanswered. Mr. Stein, and his recent movie exemplify the lengths that those folks will go in distorting the truth lying in order to further their own agenda. It's easy to make accusations that somebody is lying. In Stein's case, the accusation has quite a bit of evidence supporting it however. Avoid at all costs Mr. Stein's miserable movie Expelled. If you must see it, at least check out the evidence about the profound untruths he is propagating at the webside Expelled Exposed.

Individually and Collectively

Last week, I wrote a bit about the ethics of insect collecting. I got some great responses, both in the blog comments and elsewhere. Robin Andrea (seconded by Thingfish23) had some really interesting observations that I wanted to follow up on. From Robin:

It is an important perspective about the tension between species and individual. Because I am not a scientist, I tend to respond to animals emotionally, as individual creatures worthy of my attention and protection. You convey the importance of understanding the success of species, and the individual that is collected for assistance in that endeavor.

In part, I find this observation interesting because it speaks directly to a significant division between the environmental movement and the animal welfare movement. True, many people count themselves to be a part of both- but not everyone is, and the two groups sometimes vigorously clash. To the best of my recollection, the all examples of conflict between these two arise out of conflicts between the interest of species (or sometimes ecosystems) and the interests of individual animals.

For example, one of the greatest sources of species extinction today is the havoc wreaked by non-native animals on isolated islands where they decimate endemic native fauna, typically birds (though plants and insects have suffered badly as well). Rats, mice, pigs, goats, and cats are all responsible for a large proportion of these extinctions. Recent advances have allowed many of these predators to be cleared from increasingly large islands. New Zealand, in particular, has developed technologies to eliminate rats (a creature particularly destructive to endemic island bird fauna) by saturation bombing with rat poison. The technique has proven highly effective. The largest island treated to date, Campbell Island south of the main New Zealand archipelago, was declared rat-free in 2003. Critically endangered species like the flightless Campbell Island teal are already showing signs of recovery.

Campbell Island, NZ

Campbell Island Teal

The removal of damaging animal species from islands has been the frequent target of criticism from animal welfare activists. Goat removal projects on San Clemente Island in California and on Australia’s Lord Howe Island were fought vigorously by animal rights groups. Conflict between the welfare of individual animals and the survival of species and ecosystems was the crux of the disagreements. Even here on the mainland of North America, this debate plays itself out over issues like the control of overpopulated herbivores such as deer.

I have no idea how to resolve this particular conflict. People who articulate the issue especially well, as Robin did, are an important part of the path to resolution. For myself, I have spent thousands of hours of my life attempting to restore both ecosystems and individual species, so it’s pretty clear which position I will usually adopt. I can make lots of statements about the effects of particular non-native species on the ecosystems that they have invaded. There’s lots of information and data out there, and people who want to make the hard choices to control deer or goats or cats (an animal that I am especially fond of) make extensive use of those data.

Unfortunately, some of these same people can at times be overly dismissive of those whose concern is for individuals. I have been guilty at times myself. An important factor motivating concern for the individual- empathy- is in unfortunate short supply in the world today. I can’t bring myself to speak against this particular motivation. Remembering this may not solve instances of conflict, but it can at least keep people of differing viewpoints engaged in constructive conversation.

Confessions of a Collector

Scarabs

This posting is in response to a request by Homer that I address the question of ethical considerations in insect collecting. In addition to finding the question interesting, I feel that Homer is a great person to be asking it. He's an archaeologist professionally. Both of our fields sometimes involve making collections of the things that we study, and there are distinct ethical issues involving the collections that we make.

I got my first butterfly net from the Easter Bunny when I was 6. I’ve been collecting off and on (mostly on) for nearly all of my life. When I was young, collecting was the main way that insect enthusiasts and bugs interacted. Every field guide from that era has a section at the beginning about how to make and keep a collection. As I got older interesting new ways of interacting with insects began to emerge: everything from watching them through binoculars like birders do, to rearing them indoors, to gardening for. At the same time, increasing concerns about conservation brought the practice of collecting into question. Where does that leave collecting today?

Leaf Beetle

There are many important exceptions to this rule, but most species of butterflies today are doing very well from a conservation standpoint. The young butterfly enthusiast that collects these species is doing no lasting harm to butterfly populations as long as she limits her activities to those species. It’s generally easy to avoid the species where there are conservation concerns. For one thing, they’re rare. Additionally for most imperiled species, a collector must actively seek them out by specifically visiting (usually protected) locations where they live. Poaching is not a part of ethical collecting. Growing up, the vast majority of my collecting was done in my back yard, along dirt roads near my house, and at roadside rest areas while my family was travelling. None of the species that I collected in those days would today give me pause from a conservation standpoint.

Flea Beetle

As I have gotten older, the focus of my collecting has changed. For one thing, I have branched out beyond butterflies and now collect grasshoppers, moths, and a few groups of beetles as well. I’ve branched out partly because I enjoy the intellectual challenge of learning about new groups of insects. Additionally, I’m no longer collecting for my own personal satisfaction. Everything that I collect today is deposited in the holdings of the Chicago Academy of Sciences. By doing this, I am ensuring that my specimens will be available for study long after I’m gone.

Tortoise Beetle

I collect for a variety of reasons today. I’ve already blogged a fair bit about the aspects of collecting that involve taking live samples of imperiled species, breeding them in the lab, and releasing them as part of ecological restoration. Even with the very conservation-oriented nature of this activity, I must still take precautions. I have to get a permit (typically multiple permits) for nearly every species I work with. I must take great care to avoid damaging the source populations for this work, as well.

Toad Lubber

Other aspects of my collecting do not involve conservation, at least not as directly. By collecting beetles and grasshoppers in order to teach myself more about these groups, I am collecting a snapshot of species diversity and distribution at a particular place and time. This requires that I keep records that are as complete and accurate as possible. The specimens and records assembled by collectors who came before me have been critical to my conservation work. I hope that my records will prove useful to future generations of scientists.

Slant-faced Grasshoppers, Spine-breasted Grasshoppers, and Katydids

I am also beginning to collect material to begin DNA studies on butterflies. I’m using molecular techniques both to compare the genetic diversity of natural and restored populations, and beginning a cladistic study of a difficult genus of butterflies from North and South America. This topic is worthy of a complete blog post, and I’ll probably do one eventually.