A Land Before Humans, a Land After Humans

A thought-provoking New Zealand case study on invasive species, conservation, ecology, and environmental ethics.

A Land Before Humans, a Land After Humans examines the practical and ethical challenges of dealing with invasive species through the unique ecological history of New Zealand. As a relatively small, remote island country with fragile ecosystems and a well-documented history of species introductions, New Zealand offers a powerful case study for understanding how nature and people shape ecology.

Author Mark Fisher explores how some species survive through conservation, some may survive by eluding human knowledge, some may not survive despite our efforts, and some may survive by adapting to and integrating with human worlds. The book follows New Zealand from its geological and biological beginnings through the arrival of people, the changes that followed, and the wide-ranging efforts of individuals and communities to protect treasured species and environments.

• Uses New Zealand as a case study for managing invasive species and understanding biodiversity challenges
• Explores conservation and ecology in a fragile island ecosystem shaped by people, introduced species, and environmental change
• Examines Predator Free 2050 and wider efforts to remove unwanted species and protect native life
• Addresses ethical questions including which species are protected, which are destroyed, how they are destroyed, and what unforeseen consequences may follow
• Considers tensions between preservation and resource use as part of a broader reflection on the human relationship with the environment

This 272-page book is an invaluable resource for environment, ecology, animal welfare, and ethics students, as well as researchers and policy makers. By looking closely at the practical and ethical considerations behind invasive species management, A Land Before Humans, a Land After Humans invites readers to think deeply about conservation, biodiversity, and how humans choose to live within the natural world.

Dr Mark Fisher is a recently retired scientist with a more than 40 years' experience in farming, research and philosophy. He draws on history, literature, common understandings and personal experiences to create a distinctive narrative. Mark was until 2021 a Principal Adviser to the NZ Ministry for Primary Industries (formerly Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) and Director of Kotare Bioethics. He has been a board member of the Toi te Taiao: the Bioethics Council, the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), and was the New Zealand chair of the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART).