From the land to socio-ecological systems: the continuing influence of Aldo Leopold

Abstract

The emergence of linked socio-ecological systems as an organizing concept over the last two decades casts the legacy of Aldo Leopold in a new light, allowing us to view him as a key forerunner in this interdisciplinary field. Leopold regarded “land” as the nexus of human and natural systems and framed his “land ethic” as a guide to appropriate human thought and action within them. Our understanding of Leopold’s legacy, and of the land ethic itself, continues to evolve in response to rapidly changing social and ecological conditions.