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Island Biogeography, Species-Area Curves, and Statistical Errors: Applied Biology and Scientific Rationality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2023

Kristin S. Shrader-Frechette
Kristin S. Shrader-Frechette*
Affiliation:
University of South Florida
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Extract

In 1986-1987, a number of ecologists were involved in a dispute over design of wildlife reserves and species losses resulting from deforestation. The battle was played out largely in the pages of the Ecological Society of America Bulletin. The most focused aspect of the controversy began in August 1986 when P. C. Kangas gave a paper at the meetings of the Fourth International Congress of Ecology, held in Syracuse, New York.

Using data on trees in Costa Rica and the “objective approach” of species-area curves, Kangas argued that extinction rates due to deforestation in the tropics are actually much lower than most other researchers have alleged (Kangas 1986, p. 194). Ecologists in the audience disagreed with Kangas’ claim that extinction rates were indeed lower, complained that his questionable results would be used to justify more rapid and widespread deforestation, and claimed to have “sharply trounced his [Kangas’] arguments” (Noss 1986, pp. 278-279).

Type
Part VIII. Theory and Hypothesis
Information
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association , Volume 1990 , Issue 1: Volume One: Contributed Papers 1990 , 1990 , pp. 447 - 456
Copyright
Copyright © Philosophy of Science Association 1990

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Footnotes

1

The author thanks an anonymous PSA referee and biologist Earl McCoy for helpful comments on an earlier draft. She also thanks the NSF for grant DIR-8619533 which made this work possible. The opinions expressed in the paper are those of the author, not the National Science Foundation.

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