A Study Of Ecological Niche In Gary Snyder's Works

Gary Snyder (1930-) has been a well-known eco-poet since the 20th century. His works reflect his environmental concerns:about the survival of ecological and cultural diversity as well as the means in which we can take care of the ecosystem.Based on the ecological niche theory, this thesis intends to explore Snyder's application and development of the notion "ecological niche" in his works. Biologists describe "ecological niche" as the behavior of an organism living under specific environmental conditions. Each species has its own niche. It contends that Snyder further develops this idea with rich meanings from three aspects. First, he believes that ecological niche is not proprietary to organisms, but belongs to all beings. Thus, inanimate beings like mountains and waters all have their individual niches, playing unique roles within a given territory. Second, he thinks that the forms of energy transfer within ecological niches, besides the "sacrament" of eating and being eaten in the food chain, also include energy transfer through erotic love and dance flows of the entire ecosystem. Third, Snyder would like to speak for all beings, animate and inanimate, and try to express their collective response to their spiritual quest for enlightenment. The core of this journey is to find each of their spiritual ecological niches. By awakening the mind, it calls for going back to the native land and living the concept of homelessness, that is "being at home in the universe"; consequently, all beings can practice the "real work" in the universe, to reach a sense of their original self.Through a textual analysis and a cross-disciplinary comparative study, this case study will provide a practical paradigm for the application and development of biological concepts related to the ecological niche in the eco-literature field.