Fred Pearce.
The New Wild: why invasive species will be nature's salvation.
Icon Books. 2015
Veteran environmental writer Fred Pearce used to think of
invasive species as evil interlopers spoiling pristine ‘natural’ ecosystems.
Most conservationists would agree. But what if traditional ecology is wrong?
In The New Wild, Pearce rediscovers what conservation should really be about. He explores ecosystems old and new – from Pacific islands to the Australian outback to the Thames estuary – and reveals that our ideas about the ‘balance of nature’ are now seriously outdated.
In an era of climate change and widespread ecological damage, the dynamism of alien species and the novel ecosystems they create can help nature to regenerate. Embracing the ‘new wild’ is our best chance for the future.