Observational studyEcological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America2023
The history of natural history and race: Decolonizing human dimensions of ecology.
Observational study in Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed.
- (Re)Integrating classical natural history approaches into contemporary field primatology: toward a more holistic understanding of primates.Primates; journal of primatology · 2026Review
- Natural history in the Anthropocene.Bioscience · 2026Article
- Global Geography of Natural History Museum Specimen Holdings: A Time-Resolved Network Analysis of Mammal Collections, 1900-2020.Biodiversity data journal · 2026Article
- Urban coyote spatiotemporal overlap with humans is associated with environmental characteristics not human sociodemographics.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Experimental ecology and the balance between realism and feasibility in aquatic ecosystems.Nature communications · 2025Review
- Centering voices of scientists from marginalized backgrounds to understand experiences in climate adaptation science and inform action.PloS one · 2025Article
- Terminology in ecology and evolutionary biology disproportionately harms marginalized groups.PLoS biology · 2025Article
- Scientist engagement and the knowledge-action gap.Nature ecology & evolution · 2025Review
- Online toolkits for collaborative and inclusive global research in urban evolutionary ecology.Ecology and evolution · 2024Article
- Disrupting and diversifying the values, voices and governance principles that shape biodiversity science and management.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2023Review
- The history of natural history and race: Decolonizing human dimensions of ecology.Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America · 2023Observational
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Natural history, loosely defined as the observational study of organisms in the habitats where they occur, is recognized at the roots of ecology. Although the centrality of natural history in ecology has shifted over time, natural history is currently in resurgence: many again consider it to be the foundation of ecological and evolutionary inquiry and advocate the value of organism-centered approaches to address contemporary ecological challenges. Educators identify natural history as the foundational entryway into the practice of ecology, for example in the Ecological Society of America's Four-Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) framework. A strong natural history foundation can help generate testable hypotheses to refine mechanistic understanding of the drivers regulating species distributions and abundances and to inform restoration and conservation efforts. Given the resurgence of natural history as the foundation for ecological knowledge and practice, it is important to recognize that natural history has a long history of racism that has impacted ecological thought and priorities. This history shapes not only who conducts ecological science but also foundational ecological concepts. For example, natural history's emphasis on pristine nature untouched by humans disregards or appropriates stewardship and knowledge of most of the world's population. Because of the legacy of chattel slavery, this exclusion is particularly strong for people of African descent. This exclusion narrows ecological inquiry, limits the capacity to find solutions to ecological problems, and risks interventions that perpetuate the relation between eugenics, ecological knowledge, and natural systems. If ecology is to become an inclusive, responsive, and resilient discipline, this knowledge gap must be addressed. We here present the colonial and racist underpinnings of natural history and offer strategies to expand inclusion in the study of nature. Natural history was steeped in racism, providing a hierarchy of cultures and a taxonomy of races. Complementing growing interest in traditional and Indigenous ecological knowledge, we focus on Black ecological knowledge, for example in the study of "maroon ecologies." Addressing the racist history of natural history is necessary for removing structural and racist barriers to diverse participation and expanding ecological knowledge bases in service of better and more just science.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.