Has 'Natural' Become Nonsensical in Ecology?

In 1991 Anderson published a seminal paper proposing a scale of “naturalness” to address the impact of human alteration on most ecological systems on the planet. Despite being widely cited since, Anderson’s work has inevitably become outdated, and no longer covers what has since become known about the scale and scope of those human environmental impacts.

An overview of the literature indicated that no subsequent attempt had been made to update the framework and that most scholarly articles assume an understanding of the term ‘natural’ without providing a definition.

Providing a methodology for assessing and cataloging usage of fundamental terminology is likely to be of interest to the wider environmental science community, both in New Zealand, and internationally. This research used a literature review to identify the range of uses in current scientific writing for the term ‘natural’, determining if and where Anderson’s framework was still valid, and suggesting updates if this was indicated.

The project contributed to new knowledge by developing a descriptive framework of how the term ‘natural’ is being used, as opposed to Anderson’s work saying how it should be used. Databases and internet searches were completed to identify approximately 300 peer-reviewed scientific articles from recent top-rated ecological journals (within the past 5 years). 

Read the full report: Has 'Natural' Become Nonsensical in Ecology? (pdf, 327kb)