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Sliding baseline syndrome
Variations: shifting baseline syndrome, shifting baselines
A baseline is a reference point from the past – how things used to be. “Sliding/shifting baselines” is the idea that if we allow our reference points to shift, we lose track of our standards, and eventually accept degraded environments, or reduced sea turtle populations, as being “natural.”
WWW References:
Citations:
- Bjorndal, K.A. and Bolten, A.B. 2003. From ghosts to key species: restoring sea turtle populations to fulfill their ecological roles. Marine Turtle Newsletter 100: 16-21.
- Jackson, J. B. C. 2001. What was natural in the coastal oceans? - Proceedings of the National Acadamy of Sciences 98: 5411–5418.
Entered by: Matthew Godfrey
Modified by: Janice Blumenthal
Entered: 2004-12-14 08:49:34
Last modified: 2005-05-06 17:28:32