The Native Landscape Reader

“The Importance to Geography of the Preservation of Natural Areas” (1926)

78 From Naturalist’s Guide to the Americas, edited by Victor E. Shelford (Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1926), 12–13. sTepheN saRgeNT visheR the importance to Geography of the Preservation of natural areas (1926) At least four of Geography’s several subdivisions will be aided by the preservation of natural areas. These are (1) Descriptive Geography, (2) Historical Geography, (3) Ecological Geography, and (4) Economic Geography. Descriptive geography is concerned not alone with describing relief features and the cultural additions. It considers likewise the vegetation and the characteristic animals. Preserved areas, where natural conditions can be studied readily facilitate good geographic descriptions in two ways. First they afford examples of natural conditions. Only after type areas have been studied can a really good description of a region be written. Second, the setting aside of definite areas for preservation results indirectly in increased information about the location of typical areas, the methods of reaching them, and other significant facts concerning them. Fairly full information is gathered and made available concerning very few privately owned tracts partly because the work and expense entailed may soon have been in vain. The owner may decide to keep out even the most worthy scientists, or else the natural biota may be largely destroyed as by the cutting of the timber or otherwise altering the conditions. Thus although many nearly natural areas still remain, few geographers know just where to go, how to get there, and what they will find when they arrive. Teachers of descriptive geography will benefit, also, from the presence of preserved areas especially near cities, for in such areas their students can learn much in a short time about natural conditions, the conditions the pioneers encountered. This leads to the advantage to historical geography of the preservation of natural areas. The specialists who interpret the historical development of any region must have a full appreciation of conditions as they were in earlier times. Carefully preserved natural areas will aid greatly in understanding primeval conditions. thE imPoRtanCE to GEoGRaPhy of thE PREsERvation of natuRal aREas 79 Ecological geography differs from plant and animal ecology chiefly in being more comprehensive, including both, and as the advantages to each have been discussed at length elsewhere, it is not necessary to consider the numerous advantages to this phase of geography which would result from the preservation of numerous typical natural areas. However, there are many problems which special students of either plants or animals have not adequately investigated but which the geographer, with his more inclusive view wishes to study. For example, the influence of geographic factors which because of their rareness, have not been considered significant, such as the “free-air foehn,” or the hurricane, need to be investigated. The native flora and fauna may show far plainer adjustments to such influences than do the recently introduced forms. Since it is probable that in the future there will be a great increase in the number of ecological studies carried on by geographers, it is advantageous to geography that many areas be preserved now before it is too late. Economic geography with its interest in all products of commercial importance is interested in the preservation of natural areas especially because of the probability that in the future new uses will be found for native plants and animals not now very useful. If many are exterminated, as will surely result unless numerous natural areas are preserved promptly, all possibility of their ever being of economic importance will have disappeared. After a form is extinct , or practically extinct, it will be very distressing to learn that it had potentialities of great value had they been taken advantage of. Until every living form is well known, none should be allowed to become extinct. Economic geographers join with agriculturists, physicians and students of many other sorts, therefore, in advocating the setting aside of areas where the native forms can continue to live and can be advantageously studied. ...