"Attrition of remaining natural areas, those largely unaltered by human activities, is occuring at an accelerated pace in most parts of the world. ... Population increases with attendant spread of urbanization and extension of the agricultural base, along with other uses of the land, have already widely obscured or greatly changed original conditions. In many places we are too late, and in others we must work rapidly to determine the kinds of naturally occuring plants and animals, their interrelations, and their importance to man. The significance of such work should not be underestimated. The interdependence of living things is far-reaching, and the function of many of the separate life forms in the complex balance of nature is not well understood. No one can say what consequences may follow elimination of a species or what is the potential value to man of any organism until it has been thoroughly studied. Our interest thus extends beyond that of having available natural areas for recreation and an outdoor laboratory to satisfy purely academic phases of the interests of naturalists."

Robert C. Stebbins, Preface to Amphibians and Reptiles of Western North America, 1954 edition.

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