Traits of a good ecologist: What do ecologists think?

Abstract

Abstract. Much is inferred, but little is actually known, about how ecologists view themselves and what they value as scientists. We investigated these attitudes as part of a survey of non-student, U.S.-addressed members of the Ecological Society of America. The part of the survey reported in this paper requested ratings of 15 possible traits of a good ecologist. These traits embodied values associated with religious principles, aesthetics, caring for nature, and epistemic competence (via professional proficiency). The survey was completed by 20% of the potential respondent pool of 6,083 ecologists. The resulting trait scores were analyzed with respect to age, gender, level of education, nature of employment, primary domain of inquiry, principle method of analysis, and source of greatest professional satisfaction.Respondents ranked traits associated with professional proficiency highest and religious principles lowest. Reactions to ethical and aesthetic traits were mixed. With increasing age, rankings for ethical and aesthetic traits increased while scores for some aspects of epistemic proficiency declined. Gender effects were few. Ecologists with BA/BS or MA/MS degrees scored aesthetic and pro-social traits higher and epistemic proficiency traits lower than did PhD degree-holding respondents. Ecologists employed by government, business, or non-profits had uniquely different scoring spectra from one another and from the entire pool. Characterization of values held by ecologists classified by various domains of inquiry, primary methods of analysis, or sources of greatest professional satisfaction was complex. Particularly intriguing was that those who worked in the ecosystem domain, who used modeling and meta-data analysis as methods, or who received the most professional satisfaction from these same activities, exhibited strong support for several epistemic proficiency-related traits, while being relatively negative about traits in the aesthetic and nature-caring categories. These results put some empirical substance and conceptual structures behind perceptions that distinct subcultures exist in U.S. ecology.These results are relevant in three ways. First, they provide a framework by which individual ecologists may become aware of the motivations that drive them, the values that shape their attitudes, and the source and meaning of their professional priorities. Second, these results challenge mentors to be mindful of how they guide young ecologists in the development of their own values and priorities. Third, these results inform the leadership of professional organizations of the range and variation of positions that their member hold and that are relevant to initiatives the leadership may which to promote.

The usefulness of ecological concepts: patterns among practitioners

“…These values are consistent with female ecologists holding the intrinsic value of nature (direct contact) higher than males, but valuing knowledge of scientific philosophy (a highly conceptual venture) less (Reiners et al. ).…”

“…From the same survey, we discovered that certain aesthetic values (enjoying outdoors, appreciating the beauty of nature, having a personal affinity with nature), some nature‐relating values (nature is valuable, humans cause damage to nature, and humans are morally obligated to protect nature), and professional values (scientific objectivity and seeking knowledge for its own sake) are significantly more valued with increasing age (Reiners et al. ).…”

100 years of ecology: what are our concepts and are they useful?

“…We can, however, compare these respondent profiles from those of our 2010 survey (Reiners et al. , b) for consistency. Even with the caveat that students were specifically excluded from the earlier survey, we see that differences are small.…”

“…, Reiners et al. , b, ). Quantification of these views and values is important for ESA itself, and those agencies that fund ecological research.…”

The Cowles–Cooper Tradition under Murray F. Buell: A Personal Retrospective

“…I believe that my student colleagues and I shared an appreciation of nature, thought it to be beautiful and intrinsically valuable, and that we were morally obligated to preserve aspects of the natural world (Reiners et al. ). These aesthetic and ethical values were as automatic as honesty, courtesy and observance of the law: they were our shared axiology.…”