“Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants, and animals. Food chains are the living channels which conduct energy upward; death and decay return it to the soil. The circuit is not closed; some energy is dissipated in decay, some is added by absorption from the air, some in soils, peats, and long-lived forests; but it is a sustained circuit, like a slowly augmented revolving fund of life” (Leopold 253).

Here, Leopold concisely explains the interconnectedness of everything in nature. This is an incredibly important passage because it redefines land as a being in itself with an impressive ability to exhibit sustainable growth. I truly believe the cyclical or “revolving” manner in which it operates can be used as a model for how human ecology – economy – should operate in a way respectful of the land ethic. It’s difficult, after reading this passage, to not be impressed by the intrinsic value of ecosystems.

“All was mountain and forest on every hand. Civilization seemed to have done little more than to have scratched this rough, shaggy surface of the earth here and there. In any such view, the wild, the aboriginal, the geographical greatly predominate. The works of man dwindle and the original features of the huge globe come out. Every single object of point is dwarfed; the valley of the Hudson is only a wrinkle in the earth’s surface. You discover with a feeling of surprise that the great thing is the earth itself, which stretches away on every hand so far beyond your ken” (Burroughs 24).

In this passage, Burroughs demonstrates the very specific feeling associated with being in the wilderness. The overwhelming feeling of escaping civilization and witnessing vastness that can only really be seen when viewing a wilderness scene such as the one he was is detailed here. I think Leopold and Burroughs would agree that these kinds of emotions and realizations can help society move towards fulfilling the land ethic. As Leopold said, that cultural movement will take intellectual and emotional development. Experiences such as this one could potentially help build the emotional stock and push society further towards the land ethic.