A natural landscape is a landscape
that is unaffected by human activity. A natural landscape is intact when
all living and nonliving elements are free to move and change. A natural
landscape may contain either the living or nonliving or both. In his extensive
travels in South America, Alexander von Humboldt became the first to
conceptualize a natural landscape separate from the cultural landscape.
Some have described a transition of a pristine landscape
state to a humanized landscape state—which includes the human-modified
landscape, the primeval landscape, the ancient landscape, the undisturbed
wilderness and the managed landscape. The natural landscape is a place under
the current control of natural forces and free of the control of people for an
extended period of time.
History of natural landscape
No place on earth is unaffected by people and our culture.
However, there is no place on earth that cannot return to natural landscape if
abandoned by culture. People are part of biodiversity,
but people exert forces on biodiversity, which destroy the natural landscape.
Terms such as semi-natural are used to describe landscapes with both cultural
and natural features. People have altered landscape to such an extent that few
places on earth remain pristine. Being pristine, though, is not a prerequisite
for natural landscape designation. Once abandoned by human influences, the
landscape is again under the control of natural processes which accommodate
interruptions, resulting in a new variant of the natural landscape.
Examples of cultural forces
Cultural forces are those that, intentionally or
unintentionally, influence the landscape. Cultural landscapes are places or artifacts
currently maintained by people whether directly or indirectly. Examples of
cultural disruptions are: fences, roads, sand pits, trails, species under human
management, invasive species introduced by people, extraction
or removal of species and objects, vegetation alteration, alterations of animal
populations, natural landscaping, buildings, agricultural
areas, pollution, paved areas. Areas that may be confused with natural
landscape include parks for people, agricultural areas, orchards, maintained views (use of aesthetic
judgments), artificial lakes, managed forests, golf courses, nature center
trails, back yards, and flower beds.
Conflict between cultural forces and the natural
landscape
For a place to return to the natural landscape, all cultural artifacts attracting people must be
removed. Natural landscape is the equilibrium
that existed prior to significant human impact. The time necessary for an area
to return to the natural landscape depends upon the environment, and it may be
termed the period of neglect. Neglect, in this context, means the absence of any
plant or animal management whatsoever. Most people can easily
recognize a neglected landscape. Human impact on the natural landscape may
result in episodes of extinction of native species, episodes of stalled
equilibrium, total species destruction and even the putrification
of soil and water.
The case for returning land to the natural landscape has
been championed by those who recognize the harm resulting from people’s actions
on this planet. Popular movies such as Avatar and Life
After People focus on potential natural landscape controls or lack thereof.
The return of the natural landscape has been opposed by those who wish to groom
the natural landscape or simply to demonstrate that the natural landscape has
some practical value.
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