Diet for a Sustainable Ecosystem

This book explores a specific ecosystem in depth, in order to weave a story built on place and history. It incorporates the theme of a journey to help reveal the environment-human-health-food system-problem. While drawing on a historical approach stretching back to the American colonial era, it also incorporates more contemporary scientific findings. By crafting its story around a specific place, the book makes it easier for readers to relate to the content, and to subsequently use what they learn to better understand the role of food systems at the global scale.

Auteur

Prof. Benjamin Cuker has studied arctic lakes, southern ponds and the Chesapeake Bay. His work on diversifying the aquatic science community garnered him a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation (1999) and awards from the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (1993, 2009). Having been a Professor of Marine and Environmental Science at Hampton University since 1988, he also knows the Chesapeake well as a cruising and racing sailor who won the Down The Bay race in 2014 and 2015.

Contenu

Diet for a Sustainable Ecosystem: The science for recovering the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its People

Part I

Chapter 1. Introduction: Starting the Journey to Healthy Ecosystems and People

This sets the stage for the book. The reader is introduced to the Chesapeake Bay from an historical perspective that emphasizes that the food system played, and continues to play in this ecosystem. This is followed by an introduction to Food-Health-Environment problem. This includes mention of specific problems that will receive more attention in later chapters. The basis for the underlying philosophy of the book is discussed with reference to important pioneers. The chapter closes with an explanation of the organizational structure of the book.

Chapter 2. The Bay and Its Watershed: A Voyage Back in Time

This chapter acquaints the reader with the geological history of the Chesapeake Bay, its dimensions, and physical features. It includes information on climate change and atmospheric science needed to understand the formation of the Bay. It also discusses how humans have modified the physical bay, and ties that to the food system.

Chapter 3. Scientific Concepts that Inform the Pilgrimage of Understanding

The point of this chapter is to provide sufficient science background so that the reader can understand the subsequent chapters. The science is presented in a unified way that focuses on the similarities between human bodies and the body of water called the Chesapeake Bay. For example, circulation is discussed as an important feature of both humans and estuaries. This is a unique approach that draws more attention to similarities between human physiology and estuarine ecology, than it does to distinctions. It emphasizes the unity of nature, in keeping with the holistic philosophy developed in Ch. 1.

Part II

Chapter 4. The Precolonial Food System and how it shaped the Ecosystem

This chapter seeks to recreate the food system used by the native people of the Chesapeake region. It will use evidence from history (Capt. John Smith and other early narratives), archeology, and paleo ecology (sediment core data). It will discuss the native land and forest management practices, the evolution of fishing and hunting methods, and agricultural techniques. Special attention will be given to the arrival of corn and its impact. It will also highlight traditional ecological knowledge developed by the tribes.

Chapter 5. A Fishing Trip: The Science and Economics of Extraction from the Bay

The chapter will begin with an overview of the variety of fishing and hunting methods employed by native tribes and how they were adopted by colonists and their decedents. It will discuss the basic concepts of fisheries and wildlife management. The maximum sustainable yield (MSY) of single species management will be contrasted with ecosystem approaches to optimizing catches. Discussion will include optimizing and maximizing profit (MEY, Maximum Economic Yield) and doing the same for social outcomes (MScY, Maximum Social Yield). The chapter will distinguish commercial, artisanal, and recreational fishing/hunting practices and consequences. This chapter provides the background for the subsequent chapters on fishing and hunting as part of the Chesapeake Bay food system.

Chapter 6. Sturgeon and Shad: Foundation Species Eaten Away

Sturgeon and shad fisheries supported native peoples and the colonists that displaced them. The chapter will chronicle the demise of these fisheries and the causes. It will include a discussion of structural impediments to migration and restoration efforts underway.

Coauthor Dr. Andrij Z. Horodysky, Department of Marine and Environmental Science, Hampton University

Chapter 7. Menhaden: When uneatable Meets Industrial Delectable This chapter tells the story of the industrializat...