Before any problem can be solved effectively it must first be fully understood. In the biological world this is incredibly difficult.
My three most recent articles (about Allis Shad, Salmon and Crayfish) continue my theme about the many and various ways in which human beings are affecting the natural world. My plea throughout is that we should step up research in ecology so that we have a chance of at least understanding the problems we are causing.
Understanding the Problems
Understanding a problem is always the first step in attempting to solve it. Where living organisms and systems are involved there are many levels of understanding to be considered. I think these can be summarised as: the nature of the problem; the ecology of the organism(s) involved; and the role these organisms play in their habitat.
The Nature of the Problem
Often observation of the natural world reveals that something is changing. Very often (probably ‘usually’) this is first ‘picked up’ by amateur naturalists. For example bird-watchers might find a particular species becoming rarer. Specialist research is then required to discover if the observation is accurate and widespread.
Ecology of Organisms
If there is a real problem then the organism needs to be studied in detail. Ecological studies begin with two basic questions; what is the full life-history of an individual like?, and how do populations of the organism interact with one-another?. The full study of the ecology of all living things on earth is an enormous task, and one that is still in its infancy.
Habitats
Once the individual organisms themselves have been studied there still remains the incredibly complex question of – how do these organisms interact with one-another and the rest of their habitat? Only once all these three aspects of the problem are understood can we begin to think sensibly about possible solutions.
Inappropriate Solutions
Sometimes the urgency of problems in the biological world leads to an urge to attempt a solution before the exact nature of the problem, and the likely consequences of the proposed solution, are fully understood. Inappropriate solutions do more harm than good, they sometimes bring temporary relief but lead to unexpected consequences (see my article about the Cane Beetle and Cane Toad in Australia).
