ABSTRACT
The place of non-human animals in ecological discussion is a deeply contentious one. The existence of domesticated animals, as opposed to wild species, are part of the problem for some environmentalists (like the impact of cattle farming on the Brazilian forests). Yet for others, practices like hill farming with sheep in the English Lake District can be seen as contributing to the distinctive beauty of a managed landscape. A great deal of discussion within environmental movements has been oriented towards the concerns of animal welfare and these do not always fit neatly with the arguments over the conservation of wildlife. Much depends on whether the environmentalist or the ecologist in question is primarily concerned with an individual animal or with the whole species. In addition, a great deal follows from whether this concern is driven by instrumental motives or from a sense of the inherent value of non-human animals.
