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Sir Arthur George Tansley (1871-1955) was an English botanist who made significant contributions to the development of ecology and the conservation movement. In Our Heritage of Wild Nature, which was first published in 1945, Tansley discusses the ways in which English natural habitats might be preserved in the face of post-war modernisation processes. Our Heritage of Wild Nature puts forward the thesis that English rural beauty can only be protected through 'the deliberate conservation of much of our native vegetation', a process that must be achieved through a proper understanding of plant ecology. This process, of course, runs in tandem with the aim of protecting the various forms of animal life which find their homes within a diversity of habitats. The text also contains numerous photographic figures and a detailed index. This is a fascinating book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in ecology and botany.
Preface
1. The destruction of rural beauty
2. Why should wild life be preserved?
3. What is there left to preserve?
4. Native animals and the conflict of interests
5. Native British woodlands
6. Grassland and moorland, commons and heaths
7. Lakes and rivers, fenland and bog
8. The sea coast
9. Changes in vegetations. Need for expert management
10. Ownership and purposes of reserves
11. Administration and use of reserves
12. National parks and 'scheduled areas'
13. The work of the Forestry Commission
14. A national wild life service
15. Education
16. Conclusions
Index
