Military ecology more fitting than warfare ecology

Abstract

SUMMARYEnvironmental damage during warfare is generally accepted as an unavoidable form of collateral damage. Military operations should be included in discussions of environmental conservation. The subdiscipline warfare ecology was recently proposed to integrate such discussion. However, environmental damage may also be caused by peacetime military operations, and, in such cases, relevant stakeholders may not realize that warfare ecology has relevance for peacetime environmental disaster. This comment proposes that the epithet warfare ecology does little to attract the participation of the groups affected by military operations, however the term ‘military ecology’ would also patently include peacetime military activities and may thus enhance engagement. Military ecology embraces all environmental conservation issues related to military activity during peacetime, preparation for war, warfare and post-war restoration operations. The established term warfare ecology could be subsumed within military ecology, by accurately constricting its application to ecological issues directly tied to armed conflict.