Diversity in Ecology: A history and an introduction

By Lucy Soulliere

October 13th, 2023

The history of the field of ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB) is complicated, and many of its founding ideas are rooted in or became inextricably tied to white supremacy. The system of taxonomy that we use today to categorize organisms into species, genuses, etc, was invented by Carl Linnaeus in the 1700s. This system of categorization was used in the founding ideas of eugenics (Cronin et al., 2021). Both Linnaeus and Darwin included in their evolutionary theories ideas about human racial hierarchies and categories. Their writings and others provided a “legitimization” of racism through its use in purportedly factual scientific publications, with many of these ideas persisting today.

Ernst Haeckel, who coined the term “ecology,” conducted expeditions to Southeast Asia on which he not only wrote about local people in racist terms but also named and extracted many hundreds of natural specimens (Brunner, 2017). European ecologists and “explorers” have a long history of discovering organisms that have long since been known to the local indigenous people. Natural history museums are filled with animal specimens that were shot and killed on colonial expeditions and then brought back to Europe for display (Imbler, 2020). While the killing and extracting of plants and animals for display is mostly illegal now, harmful practices of conservation still continue. Indigenous people have historically been, and are still, exploited and excluded from their lands in the name of conservation and natural studies. National parks may be beautiful, but they also remain largely inaccessible to indigenous people trying to practice their traditions and reclaim stolen land (Hogan, 2020). Modern practices of conservation and research still often work to marginalize and de-value indigenous communities and knowledge (Collins et al., 2021).

The majority of represented historical figures in the field of EEB are white cis men. This does not mean that minorities have not been historically active in the field. However, they did not have their voices elevated as men such as Linnaeus and Darwin did, or did not engage with the study of EEB in a Western sense, and were therefore excluded. Systemic exclusion of minorities, as well as policy-enforced systemic inequalities, means that historically, diverse voices in EEB have been few and far between. STEM fields have a long and problematic history of exclusivity, and the racist and otherwise hierarchical ideas that have founded the field of EEB still enforce a gap in representation today. The legacy of racism and discrimination often discourages BIPOC and other minorities from participating in EEB (Cronin et al., 2021).

However, despite these barriers, the field of EEB is more diverse than it has ever been. More and more, underrepresented minorities are breaking into the field and getting the recognition they deserve. Social media initiatives such as #blackbirdersweek and @blackafinstem, among many others, are working to amplify underrepresented voices in EEB. Traditional ecological knowledge is gaining more recognition in the field, as it is beginning to be seen by more people as the legitimate science always has been. At the classroom level, the rise in inclusive practices is increasing minority student retention and mental health (Penner, 2018).

When everyone in a field of study has the same background, many important things may be missed or overlooked, as perspectives are limited. A diversity of perspectives only strengthens the field and makes a healthier and more inclusive environment for everyone. Fostering DEI in EEB is a powerful and important practice that betters the mental health of individual students, and promotes a more well-rounded and holistic body of research (Cronin et al., 2021)

While the field of EEB is continually more diverse and less Eurocentric, there is still a lot of progress to be made. Representation is lacking, and researchers whose work is recognized are still majority white. This 2023-2024 academic year, we will be doing a series of interviews with people of diverse perspectives and backgrounds who work in EEB in an attempt to bring visibility to their voices and research and educate about the experiences of minorities in EEB.

References:

Cronin, M. R., et al. (2021). Anti-racist interventions to transform ecology, evolution and Conservation Biology Departments. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5(9), 1213–1223. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01522-z

Brunner, B. (2017, September 13). Human forms in nature: Ernst Haeckel’s trip to South Asia and its aftermath. The Public Domain Review.

Imbler, S. (2020, February 6). In London, natural history museums confront their colonial histories. Atlas Obscura.

Penner, M. R. (2018). Building an Inclusive Classroom. Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 16(3), A268–A272.

Hogan, E. (2020, December 13). Green colonisation: The racist history of national parks. The Lovepost.

Collins, Y. A., et al. (2021). Plotting the coloniality of conservation. Journal of Political Ecology, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.2458/jpe.4683