level of participation— community, politics, and partnerships— must work together earnestly to bring about lasting resiliency.
What is a land mosaic you ask? Imagine looking through an airplane window and seeing the land below. What do you see in your mind’ s eye? You may see mountains, large population centers, wildfires, or tundra. This entire viewport is a mosaic. To paraphrase Richard T. T. Forman, a land mosaic is a composition of elements such as ecological patches, edges, wildlife corridors, and other land-use types. This varied or heterogeneous landscape expresses a mix of features such as closed canopy forests, savannas, and woodlands that are interlinked with waterways. The health and function of these waterway connectors rely heavily on keystone wildlife and their ability to migrate, feed, and reproduce each year.
n Variation in the Landscape One may argue that a varied landscape condition with healthy hydrology is far more adaptive to drought, pest cycles, wildfires, and other climate-related risks. According to FEMA’ s 2024 Future Climate Risk study, the agricultural reserve is in a“ relatively high” risk category for the next decade. Allow me to take you further. The Montgomery County Agriculture Office estimates that around 50 percent of the 93,000-acre reserve is in commodity cultivation. Even with rotation and fallow periods, areas dedicated to corn, soy, wheat, or barley resemble monocultures. There are ecological limits to export and efficiency. In a software system, repetition builds resiliency. In an agricultural system, repetition( or in this case, homogeneity) is more correlated with failure.
n TIme-honored traditions In my humble view, we may revisit those time-honored traditions and land stewardship practices developed over oceans of time, to better harmonize with our natural spaces. Today, there is a groundswell of support for community-led agricultural economies built on empathy, biodiversity, love of place, and ecological stewardship. From the REKO Rings of Finland and Norway to the spiralized silvopasture farms in Wisconsin, there are fascinating new agricultural models that activate our communities, not the wallets of corporate
Holocene- 11,700 BCE-1950 Anthropocene- 1950-Present
6,700 BCE First |
3,000 BCE |
900 CE |
1784 CE |
1950-Present |
Wetlands form and Chesapeake Bay estuary appears. |
First evidence of indigenous ethnobotany. Plant domestication for fiber, food, and fuel alters local ecosystems. |
Stratified societies and agricultural settlements appear. Large earthworks and early cities emerge. |
The Industrial Revolution begins in North America. Mercantilism shifts to free-market industrialism. |
Rapid global warming and surge in technological innovation. Human footprint surpasses total biomass of all living things on earth. Population: 8.3 billion |