Maintain Biodiversity
Leopold strongly advocated for the maintenance of biodiversity in nature. As explained briefly in his biography, Leopold spent a large portion of his life observing, sketching, and writing about flora and fauna. His philosophy in the Land Ethic talks about the intrinsic value of natural beings, in that they should exist just because, not because of some human-imposed economic value. In addition, due to the interconnected and interdependent nature of natural communities, biodiversity is important in maintaining the health of the community in general. It is important to remember that Leopold’s “land” is a term that includes water, air, and other ecosystems and communities, not just soil-based habitats!

Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, UK

[Image mine; all rights reserved]

Live Closely to the Land
In the essay “Good Oak”, Leopold (1966, p. 6) says:

“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.”

Leopold recognized that part of the reason why the anthropocentric view of nature is so popular is the fact that most people live their lives apart from the land. Out of touch with nature, sometimes literally, people would find it increasingly easier to divorce themselves from the rest of the natural community and thus think of themselves as higher than, or at least not equal to, their fellow community members. Leopold believed that we need to return to the land to understand and restore it, and to understand ourselves. In the later part of his life, Leopold was enthusiastic about environmental education, and this led to a number of articles as well as A Sand County Almanac.