23. Man and His Natural Habitat 人类及其自然栖息地
① Ecology is that branch of science which concerns itself with the interrelationships between living things (plants and animals) and their natural environments.Human ecology specializes in man's relationship to his natural environment.
② Ecology has become greatly important in recent years because of man's devastating impact on his habitat.High schools and colleges across the nation offer special courses in this subject area to make young people aware of the impact of air,water,and land pollution on the quality of man's environment.To the growing population of our natural environment we must add soil erosion,destruction of forests,and deposits of large accumulations of solid wastes as causes for concern the future quality of our natural environment.
③ Rachel Carson,in her far-reaching book,Silent Spring,alerted many Americans to the dangers of land and water pollution to the natural wildlife.Man's excessive use of pesticides has destroyed much of the bird life and fish in out land.She predicted the wholesale extinction of the natural animal life.Many experts have confirmed Rachel Carson's fears that the basic problem of ecology is to determine how far man has changed his environment to such an extent thatit has now become a question as to how long life can be preserved on our planet.Whether the problem is real or imaginary,experts agree that man has become the victim of his creativeness and genius.Extensive research has shown that natural habitats are changing because of the spectacular advances in the application of science and industry.
