GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments 1 Lecture 1

MANAGEMENT OFWILDERNESS

ENVIRONMENTS

GEOG3320

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Introduction: the idea of wilderness

Lecture outline:

introduction to module what is wilderness? the idea of wilderness spatial patterns: distribution and

scale workshop: your idea of wilderness

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1. Introduction to the module

Module outline:

1. The idea of wilderness2. The importance of wilderness and wildland3. Wilderness ecosystems4. The concept of landscape5. Recreational use of wilderness and wildland6. Non-recreational use of wilderness and wildland7. Wild futures?8. Case studies 1: wild Britain9. Case studies 2: re-wilding the uplands10. Case studies 3: re-wilding the lowlands

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1. Introduction to the module (cont’d)

Form of teaching:

Lectures 10 x 1 hour

Workshops 10 x 1 hour

Reading and preparation 10 x weekly

Assessment:

Examination 1 x 2 hours (67%)

Group project: 1 x web poster (33%)

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Workshops:1.Discussion: sharing personal experiences of wilderness2.Discussion: why is wilderness necessary for global

survival?3.Guest lecture: Mark Fisher on self-willed land4.Video: "The Scottish Highlands - in search of wilderness" 5.Discussion: developing a wildland policy for England and

Wales6.Q&A session: web poster development7.Guest lecture: Toby Aykroyd on the “Wild Britain”

initiative8.Discussion: developing a wilderness inventory for Britain9.Guest lecture: Alan Watson-Featherstone on Trees for Life10. Q&A session: module summary and exam practice

1. Introduction to the module (cont’d)

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1. Introduction to the module (cont’d)

Aims introduction to wilderness and wilderness

management develop knowledge and understanding of

wilderness: the idea, the reality, the issues and solutions

Objectives examine environmental problems and

management issues focus of human/environment interaction discussion of issues raised in relation to UK examine case study material with emphasis

on UK, Europe and global examples

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Thought:Write down three attributes

of wilderness

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2. What is wilderness?

Definition:

Wild, wild, a. Living in a state of nature; not tame; not cultivated; desert; stormy; furious; frolicsome; rash; extravagant; excited. -n. An uncultivated tract.

Wilderness, Wil’der-nes, n. A desert; waste; irregular collection of things.

Origins:- early teutonic & Norse languages

- Anglo-Saxon

- Biblical

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2. What is wilderness (cont’d)

Formal definition: US Forestry Service (1920s & 1930s)

Roadless, Primitive, Natural. Outdoor Recreation Resources Review

Committee (1962): areas over 100,000 acres “containing no roads usable by the public” and showing “no significant ecological disturbance from on-site human activity”

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2. What is wilderness (cont’d)

The Wilderness Act (1964):“a wilderness, in contrast with those areas where

man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognised as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammelled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

a wilderness should retain “its primeval character and influence” and should be managed in such a way that it “appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature.”

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Question: What are the four main

qualities of “wilderness”?

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3. The idea of wilderness

Formal definition is crucial but difficult Sociological definition is easier

Leopold (1921):“a continuous stretch of country preserved in its

natural state, open to lawful hunting and fishing, devoid of roads, artificial trails, cottages and other works of man.”

Nash (1982):“to accept as wilderness those places people call

wilderness”

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3. The idea of wilderness (cont’d)

Problems with definitions: Formal:

- too rigid, lacking flexibility- wilderness is not a formal thing

Sociological:- perhaps too subjective- based on the individual

Romantic:- exaggerated notions of wild beauty- Poetic and artistic licence

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3. The idea of wilderness (cont’d)

The wilderness experience: Experience and preconceptions help

define wilderness Mood and feeling Nash (1982):

“One man’s wilderness may be another’s roadside picnic ground.”

Three conditions affecting experience:1. natural2. social3. managerial

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3. The idea of wilderness (cont’d)

Natural influences:- human impact- wildlife- ecological and physical processes

Social influences:- behavioural- solitude

Managerial influences:- quality- extent

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Thought:What is your own “purest”

wilderness experience?

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4. Spatial patterns

Where is wilderness?- anywhere where wilderness conditions persist

- de jure or de facto wilderness?

- Wild(er)ness as a state of mind

34% of world land area remains as wilderness on following basis:- areas greater than 1 million acres (404,700ha)

- essentially roadless

- unaffected by permanent habilitation or structures

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Question:Name some of the wildest

areas of the world

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4. Spatial patterns (cont’d)

Global distribution of wilderness:- McCloskey and Spalding (1989)

- Lesslie (unpublished)

- Sanderson et al. (2002) “The Human Footprint”

The US distribution of wilderness:- The 1964 Wilderness Act and the National

Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS)

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4. Spatial patterns (cont’d)

Formally protected wilderness areas:- USA and Canada

- Australia and New Zealand

- South Africa and Zimbabwe

- Scandinavia

International wilderness areas:- World Heritage sites

- Biosphere Reserves

- Ramsar sites

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4. Spatial patterns (cont’d)

Attributes of ‘wildness’:- naturalness and natural integrity

- opportunity for solitude

- opportunity for wilderness recreation

- aesthetic/scenic quality

- cultural features

- bio-physical attributes

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Question:How do you measure these

attributes?

Naturalness Solitude Opportunity for recreation Aesthetic/scenic quality Cultural features Bio-physical attributes

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4. Spatial patterns (cont’d)

Naturalness and natural integrity- presence/absence of human influence- scale of developments

Solitude- size of area- topographic and vegetative screening- distance from perimeter- human intrusion

Recreational opportunity- absence of facilities- challenge- diversity

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4. Spatial patterns (cont’d)

Aesthetic quality- landscape diversity: relief and view distance

- physical features (e.g. water, glaciers, etc.)

- vegetation

- human developments

Cultural value- ancient remains

Bio-physical- flora and fauna (especially if rare)

- geological and geomorphological features

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4. Spatial patterns (cont’d)

The Wilderness continuum concept- A range of conditions from the “paved to the

primeval” (Nash, 1982)

- A range of wilderness types and environments

- Wilderness is a relative concept depending strongly on experience and geographical location

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Thought:Is there any wilderness left

in Britain?

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4. Spatial patterns (cont’d)

Wilderness in the UK? Thousands of years of change as

result of human activity Secondary wilderness Remote areas Example: ‘Cleared’ areas of Scotland

- Traditional view as wastelands resulting from English occupation and associated ‘Clearances’

- Contemporary view as areas offering wilderness experience

- Knoydart, Cairngorm, Letterewe Forest

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Final thought:How important is spatial scale in determining the significance

of wilderness or wildland?

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Reading

Hendee, J.C et al (1990) Wilderness Management. Fulcrum Publishing, Colorado. [Chapter 1]

Nash, R (1982) Wilderness and the American mind. Yale University Press, New Haven.

Oeschlaeger, M (1991) The idea of wilderness: from prehistory to the age of ecology. Yale University Press, New Haven.

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Workshop

Discussion: How does our idea of wilderness relate to personal

experience?

What are your ideas as to what wilderness is?

Where is the wildest place you have been?

What things made it feel wild to you? How has this experience shaped your

idea of wilderness?

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Task

Describe your wildest experience in words and pictures- Use the following headings:

• where is the wildest place you have been?• what things made it feel wild to you?• how has this experience shaped your idea of

wilderness?

- Include a personal photograph:• digital (maximum 640x480 resolution)• use suitable alternative from web if you

don’t have one of your own to hand

- Submit as Word document using supplied template by Monday

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Next week...

2. The importance of wilderness and wildland

Experiencing wilderness Wilderness values Sustainability Workshop: Why is wilderness

necessary for global survival