As the science of ecology has matured with the recognition of the web and cycles of nature, man has begun to legislate in favour of the environment. This study reveals the links between law systems and the science of ecology.
The problem; The early history of ecology and environmental law; Before the dawn - ecology and environmental law at mid-century; The lover's quarrel between law and ecology; The shy embrace of law and ecology: The courtship of law and ecology; The marriage: ecological planning for environmental law; Ecology and law in the 1990s - the law of place-based ecosystem regimes and management; The ecosystemic regime and biodiversity protection in the 1990s; International environmental law regimes: coming of age in the 1990s; Conclusion: lessons of history and future directions.