Wilderness

Wilderness refers to Earth's natural environments that remain largely untouched by human activity.

These wildlands are generally defined as nonurbanized areas that lack extensive agricultural cultivation. While the term has traditionally focused on terrestrial environments, there is growing scientific attention toward marine wilderness. Current mapping suggests that wilderness covers roughly one-quarter of the Earth's terrestrial surface. However, these areas face rapid degradation due to human activity. The situation in the ocean is even more critical. Only 13.2% of the marine environment remains free from intense human activity.

Governments protect these areas through various legal mechanisms to ensure natural development.

These protections can take the form of preserves, conservation preserves, national forests, or national parks. Some even include urban areas along rivers or undeveloped gulches. Protecting wilderness serves several vital functions for the planet. It ensures the survival of specific species and maintains biodiversity. These regions also provide essential sites for ecological studies and conservation efforts. Furthermore, wilderness offers humans opportunities for solitude and recreation. These lands preserve historic genetic traits and provide habitats for wild flora and fauna. Such species are often difficult to recreate in controlled environments like zoos, arboretums, or laboratories.

Human perspectives on wildness have shifted dramatically throughout history. During the Tang Dynasty in China, nature became a central subject for visual arts.

Artists practiced a tradition called Shan shui, which translates to "mountain-water-picture." They aimed to depict mountains and rivers from the perspective of nature as a whole. This approach was based on an understanding of the laws of nature. Artists sought to capture scenes as if seen through the eyes of a bird. In the 13th century, Shih Erh Chi even recommended avoiding scenes that lacked places made inaccessible by nature.

Early legal protections for nature also have deep historical roots. The first known laws to protect parts of nature date back to the Babylonian and Chinese Empires. Around the 3rd century B.C., the Mauryan King Ashoka defined the first known laws to protect flora and fauna through the Edicts of Ashoka. In the Middle Ages, English Kings initiated early efforts to protect natural areas. However, their motivation was not environmentalism but the desire to maintain private hunting preserves. They protected wildlife from subsistence hunting and kept villagers from gathering firewood to ensure game remained available. In much of Europe, however, wilderness was viewed negatively as a dangerous and immoral place.

During the era of European colonization, views of the wilderness became even more conflicted.

Many colonists viewed the wilderness as an enemy to be conquered and destroyed. They believed they had to clear trees and transform the land to build "civilized" society. This perspective often ignored the complex relationship Native Americans had with the land. Native Americans used controlled fires to maintain food sources and prevent out-of-control wildfires. These practices shaped the landscapes that colonists later perceived as pristine or empty. This view of the land as something only to be used for human benefit was often rooted in specific religious ideas.

By the 19th century, a profound shift toward valuing the intrinsic beauty of nature occurred.

British artists like John Constable and J. M. W. Turner began capturing the beauty of the natural world in their paintings. Simultaneously, the poet William Wordsworth wrote about the wonder of the natural world. This period saw the rise of the conservation movement. In 1861, the French Waters and Forests Military Agency established an "artistic reserve" in the Fontainebleau State Forest. This area, totaling 1,097 hectares, is thought to be the first nature reserve in the world. In Germany, the concept of "Scientific Conservation" emerged to advocate for the efficient use of resources through science.

Modern conservation efforts became a global priority during the mid-20th century.

Following the dissolution of the British Empire in Africa in the late 1940s, many large wildlife preserves were established. While some were driven by economic interests like big game hunting, they led to a broader recognition of the need for worldwide wildlife conservation. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was founded in 1961 and became a major global organization. In the United States, the Wilderness Act of 1964 marked a pinnacle in legal protection. It allowed parts of National Forests to be designated as official wilderness preserves. Other laws, such as the 1975 Eastern Wilderness Areas Act, followed this model.

Today, scientists recognize that wilderness is part of a complex, interconnected system.

Simply drawing lines around a piece of land does not guarantee its protection. What happens outside a designated wilderness area directly affects the environment inside it. For example, air pollution from the California Central Valley can reach Sequoia National Park. Even though the park contains miles of wilderness, its air is impacted by outside pollution. This creates a modern paradox regarding what a wilderness truly is. Large-scale projects, such as Canada's Boreal Forest Conservation Framework, now aim to protect massive regions like the 6,000,000 square kilometers of northern boreal forest.