Comparative Histories of Scientific Conservation: Nature, Science, and Society in Patagonian and Amazonian South America

Introduction

South American nations were among the first to create parks; they protect the highest number of large reserves, and they retain the highest percentage of protected areas with people living inside. But little comparative work has contextualized their initial declaration, their evolution, or their societal meaning. As a result, generalizations are being made about parks globally that overlook the role of scientists in transforming the landscape. This project asks how the development of natural field sciences has led to the establishment, maintenance, and promotion of national parks in Amazonia and Patagonia.

Intellectual Merit

This research merges a history of science approach to understanding technical research with environmental history's insights into social, political, and cultural influences within and across societies. As a comparative study, it will use the long twentieth century (1870s to present) to chart the contours of scientifically-informed conservation through attention to six park groups in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru. The project methodology involves document analysis of archival sources (such as exploration journals, research station records, published studies, and correspondence) as well as oral histories of scientists and social groups interacting with scientists. Abundant literature on conservation exists in disciplines like conservation biology, geography, anthropology, and political science but few studies give the comparative perspective of time and place. Careful historical research will bridge current debates in these disciplines by contextualizing the competing systems of knowledge and scientific traditions.

Potential Broader Impacts

Despite their seemingly benign presence, national parks have a contested history. That history explains much about how science becomes policy, how scientific understandings shape the landscape, and how global networks of scientific knowledge have influenced the protection of nature. Understanding the past with greater clarity will provide a better framework for understanding the role of science in shaping conservation policies. The results of this project will be disseminated in multiple ways (a book, a teaching website, and an international symposium) to enhance the prospects for having these impacts.