Ecologist

"Several years ago, a group of zealous planetary ecologists transplanted the avian elix to Dar'Or. The elix inhabited a forest world about to be destroyed by a supernova explosion. By transplanting this small bird of prey to Dar'Or, the ecologists hoped to save the species from extinction. The well-meaning ecologists missed one important ecological computation and, consequently, were not aware of the full implications of their actions."

―Obo Rin, Catalog of Intelligent Life in the Galaxy, Revised Edition^[1]

An ecologist was a specialist who studied the ecology of a given world. The Ithorian species was galactically renowned as skilled ecologists. Ecologists played a part in the terraforming process of the planet Kuat.

Description

An ecologist was a specialist who studied the ecology of a given world.^[2] Ecologists endorsed hunting as long as it targeted specimens of overpopulated species or rogue predators who preyed on sentient beings.^[3] An ecologist could give valuable input during the process of terraforming a planet.^[4]

History

Under the Republic

"He was a botanist and a savant. A Jedi Master of great age, we've heard; a Ho'Din from the planet Moltok. We've deduced by the growth of the lichens at the foot of the walls that he built this place about a hundred years ago, and since many of the plants that grow in the valley have been genetically tailored to our climate of geothermic heat and low light—even to the microclimates of high acidity down in the more active lower end of the valley—we assume he was an ecologist and scientist of considerable skill."

―Jevax, on Plett^[5]

After the Core Worlds planet Kuat had been colonized^[4] by a sleeper ship expedition from the world of Coruscant in 27,500 BBY,^[6] a group of affluent merchant families known as the Ten hired the best terraformers, ecologists, and animal breeders to turn the barren Kuat into a paradise-like world. Those efforts then saw fruition within two decades.^[4] The Ithorians, a sentient species from the Mid Rim planet Ithor, made first contact with the wider galaxy at some point by 12,000 BBY.^[6] They frequently worked as ecologists and were renowned as potentially the best specialists of that type in the galaxy.^[7]

A herd of Ithorians was recruited to help with the restoration of the planet Telos IV (pictured) due to the species' reputation as skilled ecologists.

At some point between 3955 BBY and 3951 BBY,^[8] the Galactic Republic initiated a project to restore the ecology of the bombarded planet Telos IV of the Outer Rim Territories'^[9] Kwymar sector.^[10] Due to the Ithorians' reputation as ecologists and agricultural engineers, the Telosian Council recruited a herd of Ithorians to help with the restoration efforts. The herd included the ecologist and xenobiologist Pato Ado, who was sent to the planet Dantooine^[9] of the Outer Rim's Raioballo sector^[6] to catalogue its natural resources.^[9] The Ho'Din Jedi Master Plett was also a skilled ecologist who was active on the planet Belsavis^[5] of the Outer Rim's Bozhnee sector^[6] approximately a century prior to^[5] 12 ABY.^[11]

Empire and beyond

At some point during the reign of the Galactic Empire, a group of planetary ecologists transplanted the small birds of prey known as the elix from their forested homeworld—which was about to be destroyed by a supernova— to Dar'Or, a planet located in the Jospro sector^[1] of the Outer Rim.^[12] The ecologists, however, overlooked the fact that the new home of the elix had lower gravity, which led to the avians becoming powerful and fast apex predators that threatened the native sentient Ri'Dar species. Years after the transplantation of the elix from their doomed homeworld, the sentientologist Obo Rin mentioned the ecologists' deed—while characterizing them as "zealous"—in an entry of his publication, Catalog of Intelligent Life in the Galaxy, dedicated to the Ri'Dar.^[1]

Bersin Sekolah, a renowned Ithorian ecologist

A group of members of the Caamasi species established the settlement known as Refuge City on the Caamasi homeworld,^[4] the Core Worlds^[6] planet Caamas with the goal of researching potential ways to decontaminate the world after its devastation^[4] in 19 BBY.^[13] Refuge City was inhabited by approximately two hundred Caamasi as well as several dozen Ithorian ecologists—including Ish'tay—several of whom maintained a garden at the center of the settlement.^[4] By the time of the Galactic Civil War between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, the Ithorian Bersin Sekolah was a renowned ecologist who had previously worked as a Galactic Republic scout.^[2] The Ithorian ecologist Chandra Hobat served as the President of the Kathol Republic during the existence of the New Republic.^[14]

The Ruurian Amisus Funti was an ecologist who at some point taught at Garqi Agricultural University on the planet Garqi of the Outer Rim's Tadrin sector. In turn, Nozho University on Clak'dor VII, a planet in^[15] the Mayagil sector^[16] of the Outer Rim that was the homeworld of the sentient Bith species, hosted an annual ecological symposium, during which ecologists presented and defended scientific theses to each other. The symposium culminated with those same ecologists performing an improvised orchestral concert.^[15] At one point no earlier than 36 ABY, the Ithorians' frequent employment as ecologists was mentioned in a guide to various species of the galaxy that was based on the research notes of sentientologist Mammon Hoole.^[17]

Behind the scenes

"Ithorians are well-known as ecologists and agricultural engineers."

―Moza, in a possible conversation with the player character Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords^[9]

Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races introduced ecologists in Star Wars. — *Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races* introduced ecologists in *Star Wars*.

The occupation of ecologist was introduced in the Star Wars franchise via Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races, a 1989 sourcebook authored by Troy Denning for use with West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.^[18] The ecologist Plett then made a full appearance, albeit as part of a vision, in the 1995 novel Children of the Jedi by Barbara Hambly.^[5] Finally, Lisa Smedman's roleplaying adventure "Little Empires," published in the 1996 West End Games supplement The Kathol Outback,^[19] featured the first illustration of an ecologist, Chandra Hobat.^[14]

The occupation of ecologist was to be mentioned in the roleplaying source article "Corellian Translines," which was written by Chris Hind and would have been published in the sixteenth issue of West End Games' Star Wars Adventure Journal magazine before that issue's cancellation. In the article, a section representing an in-universe advertisement for the Corellian Translines company would have mentioned Ithorian and Ho'Din ecologists managing a biosphere resort aboard the luxury liner Empress.^[20]