They are able to design and construct new organisms that can perform specific functions, such as producing biofuels or cleaning up environmental pollutants.

The Concept of a Species

A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

It is a product of human intervention, a carefully crafted environment designed to mimic the natural world, but not truly natural. This raises questions about the authenticity and value of such experiences. Are they truly wilderness experiences, or are they merely simulations of wilderness experiences? Roosth argues that the reconstructed wilderness is a form of post-wilderness – a term coined by author and conservationist Bill McKibben in 1983 – where the boundaries between nature and culture are blurred. This blurring of boundaries challenges traditional notions of wilderness and raises questions about the role of humans in the natural world. The post-wilderness experience is characterized by the presence of human-made infrastructure, such as roads, trails, and lodges. The reconstructed wilderness often features artificial lakes, created by damming rivers, and artificial forests, created by planting trees in a specific pattern. These human-made features alter the natural environment, changing the ecosystem and disrupting the natural processes that occur within it. Roosth argues that this blurring of boundaries between nature and culture is a result of human activity, and that the reconstructed wilderness is a form of environmental engineering – a term used to describe the intentional manipulation of the natural environment for human purposes. Roosth’s work challenges traditional notions of wilderness and raises questions about the role of humans in the natural world.