Sagarin, R., & Pauchard, A. (2018). Observation and ecology: Broadening the scope of science to understand a complex world. Editorial Universidad de Concepción.

Abstract

This book is the Spanish translation by Consuelo Quevedo of the original version published in English by Island Press (Washington) in 2012. It is a study initially aimed at a specialized audience interested in discussions about ecological research methodology. However, it will also be relevant for a broader audience interested in questions about the complex relationship between society, science, education, and ecosystem conservation. Sagarin and Pauchard advocate for an observational approach in ecology, as opposed to the dominant tradition that privileges almost exclusively experimental or manipulative approaches. The experimental approach, by its very epistemic nature, produces research that is short-term and spatially localized (typically in a small plot, no more than one square meter, of a natural system without prior human intervention). For these reasons, as the authors show, this approach has been favored by the institutional constraints that currently channel the development of scientific research.