Aldo Leopold Exam 1

What is 'A Sand County Almanac'?

A Sand County Almanac is a book by Aldo Leopold, published in 1949, which combines philosophy, science, and environmentalism through observations of a Wisconsin landscape.

Who is Aldo Leopold?

Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) was an American ecologist, forester, and environmentalist, known for his role in the development of wildlife management and for his influential writings on land ethics.

What is the main theme of 'A Sand County Almanac'?

The main theme of 'A Sand County Almanac' is the relationship between humans and the natural world, advocating for a land ethic that emphasizes respect for nature.

What is the significance of the 'land ethic' introduced by Leopold?

The 'land ethic' is a philosophy proposed by Leopold that urges people to consider the ecological relationships and responsibilities they have to the land, promoting a stewardship approach to nature.

What does the chapter 'January' in 'A Sand County Almanac' focus on?

The chapter 'January' describes the winter landscape, the behavior of wildlife during this season, and the observations of natural phenomena, including snow and animal tracks.

What notable wildlife interactions are discussed in the 'January' chapter?

In the 'January' chapter, Leopold discusses how animals adapt to winter conditions, including the hunting patterns of predators and the survival strategies of prey.

How does Leopold use the month of January to reflect on broader ecological themes?

Leopold uses January to reflect on themes of life cycles, interdependence among species, and how winter conditions influence ecological dynamics in the landscape.

Why is Leopold's observation of animal tracks important in the 'January' chapter?

The observation of animal tracks is important as it provides insights into the behavior and movement of wildlife during winter, highlighting their adaptability and the interconnectedness of ecosystems.

what does the thaw mean for the hawk and snow mean for the mouse

“freedom from want and fear”

In the chapter, the thaw represents a return of activity and food availability for the mouse, while for the hawk, it signifies an opportunity to hunt as the snow recedes, illustrating the delicate balance of predator-prey relationships.

what does the thaw mean for the rabbit

freedom from want and abandonement of fear

The thaw means increased access to food and movement for the rabbit, allowing it to emerge from its winter shelter and take advantage of the more favorable conditions.

Feb: dangers of not owning a farm

you want to know where your resources come from

1) supposing breakfast comes from the grocery 2) heat comes from the furnace

so you plant a garden and lay a split of good oak on the andirons

February- What were the dimensions of the oak tree that Aldo cut down?

width of the stump was 30 inches, 80 growth rings; seedling must have laid its first ring around 1865 (end of cvl war).

February- what does Aldo do as he cuts through the oak?

While the narrator cuts down the oak tree, as he cuts through the rings, the narrator recalls what happens in each year that the tree is alive. Some occasions are simple and are related to the weather. Others are more complicated and related to human historical events, such as when government start to intervene in the environment.

February- what happens to an oak tree that Aldo has to cut down?

it is struck by lightning, bad enough that it no longer lives.

February- saw job

works across years one by one and sawdust piles up (facts)

February- the wedge job

works only ini radial splits (which reveals a collective view of all the years at once or not at all)

February- the axe job

functions only at an angle diagonal to the years, only for the peripheral rings of the recent past. lops limbs, for which the saw and wedge are useless.

February- stump

collective view of century

LE: According to the narrator, the land ethic changes the role of humans from conquerors to what?

Members of the biotic community.

LE: community consept

enlarges boundaries of community to include land as a whole; can't prevent alteration/management/use of these resources, but affirms their right to continued existence in natural state; changes role of humans from conqueror of land to citizen of it; implies respect for fellow members and community
LAND AS COMMUNITY

LE: ecological conscience

everything has monetary value which is bad. need to practice conservation for ALL not just what you directly benifit from

obligations have no menaing without conscience (people to land)
education needs to happen before change

LE: what does he mean by the land pyramid? how are food chains fountains of energy?

fountains of energy- fountain of energy flowing through circuit of soils, plants, animals; food chains are living channels which conduct energy upward
pyramidal form of system reflects this numerical progression from apex to base, land not just soil

the less violent (big and fast) the man-made change, the greater probability for readjustment

LE: A- B clevage

A: land as soil, function as community production

B: land as biota, function as samething broader

Wilderness: what is wilderness?

the raw material out of which man has hammered rhe artificat alled civilization

wilderness: what are the two impending changes

exhaustion of wilderness in habitiable portions of the globe

wold-wide hybridization of cultures through modern transport and industrilization

wilderness: why preserve raw material?

gives definition and meanung to the laborers life

wilderness: what is the fastest declining wildeness?

coastlines

interwoven in history and near complete disapperance

wilderness: predator control

predators taken out of an area in the interest of big game management, big game overborws the range, encouraging hunters to hunt, need to build roads to give hunters acess

wilderness: surviving wilderness areas

what are they without fauna even if they survive

wilderness: physical combat to sports and games

hunting and fishing for sport is a world wide skill

wilderness: skills developed in america

canoe travel and pack- train travel

done for sport, now competing with mechanized subsitutes

wilderness: why is recreation valuble

it is valuble in proportion to the intensity of its experiances and to the degree to which it differs from and constrasts with workday life

wilderness: two organisms that self renewal is subjected to human interference

1- man

2- land = agriculture, conservation

wilderness: land sickness

soil loses fertility, water washes away too much soil, abnormal flood and shortages

other issues like disappearing spp. are symptoms of sickness

unexpected chains of dependency- sickness in one “organ” and the cause in another

wilderness: J.E Weaver

found that prairie spp. do teamwork and spread roots out among all levels and weeds take up only one level

wilderness: wilderness as a resource

can shrink but not grow

societies may only learn of invaders after its too late

C&S: noumenon of material things

ecological death inexpressible in terms of contemporary science

ex: ruffed grouse

C&S: phenomenon of material things

predictable

C&S: delta of Colorado

traveled through all lagoons and Leopold followed by canoe

full of fish and fowl

jaguar potential presence pervaded the wilderness

searching for goose to roast

all game very fat, lots of food to eat for them but Leopold does not eat it

problem getting water- all saline or too muddy

“man always kills the thing he loves, and so we the pioneers have killed our wilderness”

C&S: song of the Rio Gavilan

song of waters is heard by everyone but to hear any other song you must live in the area for a long time and know the speech of the hills and rivers

parks bring music to the many

C&S: science’s moral obligation

objectivity

O&U: pests

solidarity and co-operation among plant and animal pests

O&U: peter kalm

found most European weeds established in NY and NJ in 1750s

• spreading rapidly

• others arrived from the west

O&U: cheat grass

annual plant, replaced native grasses in the western mountains

cause = overgrazing (native grasses chewed and trampled so much that cheat grass took over)

grows in dense stands, prickly

native bushes burning with native grass underneath

everyone has a hopeless attitude about the cheat grass