A Landscape is an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view.
Landscaping is the act of improving the look of the land.
Sustainability in the context of landscapes means designing and managing land in a way that enables it to provide continual benefit to the ecosystem and the people who depend on it.
Sustainable Landscapes are sections of land (big and small) actively managed by humans so they maintain their ecological value and can also provide direct economic value to humans.
Examples
To be meet the demand for food, coffee, and other commodities, farmers in the Amazon rain forest are clearing forest to plant these crops. Clear cutting trees and planting crops is not a sustainable management of these forested areas because:
- Deforestation causes habitat loss for a plethora of species
- Only a handful of crops can be grown on this land before the soil is depleted
Therefore the land is used for a short period of time before it is rendered virtually useless for both humans and other species that once depended on it.
Instead of this destructive and short-lived profit, we want to look for ways to keep landscapes valuable to people and the ecosystem indefinitely.