Concepts of nature are always cultural statements. This may not strike Europeans as much of an insight, for Europe’s landscape is so much of a blend. But in the new worlds ― ‘new’ at least to Europeans ― the distinction appeared much clearer not only to European settlers and visitors but also to their descendants. For that reason, they had the fond conceit of primeval nature uncontrolled by human associations which could later find expression in an admiration for wilderness. Ecological relationships certainly have their own logic and in this sense ‘nature’ can be seen to have a self-regulating but not necessarily stable dynamic independent of human intervention. But the context for ecological interactions ____________________________________________. We may not determine how or what a lion eats but we certainly can regulate where the lion feeds.
* conceit: 생각 ** primeval: 원시(시대)의 *** ecological: 생태학의