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Perspectives from Landscape Ecology and Landscape Sustainability Science Landscape Ecol (2019) 34:1–8 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-019-00772-4 (0123456789().,-volV)( 0123456789().,-volV) EDITORIAL Ecological civilization: perspectives from landscape ecology and landscape sustainability science Amy E. Frazier . Brett A. Bryan . Alexander Buyantuev . Liding Chen . Cristian Echeverria . Peng Jia . Lumeng Liu . Qin Li . Zhiyun Ouyang . Jianguo Wu . Wei-Ning Xiang . Jun Yang . Lihua Yang . Shuqing Zhao Received: 3 January 2019 / Accepted: 8 January 2019 / Published online: 6 February 2019 © Springer Nature B.V. 2019 Keywords Landscape sustainability science · transformational reduction in humanity’s environ- Eco-civilization · Human well-being · mental impact. Ecological civilization is a way of Forest landscape restoration approaching social and ecological reform and repre- sents a new standard of human existence that may be sustainable well into the future. However, how to Reversing ecological degradation is critical for sur- achieve ecological civilization still remains a ques- vival of many species but will not occur without a tion. Landscape sustainability science, with its theoretical basis in sustainability science and land- scape ecology, offers a decisive path for achieving an In June 2018, the authors joined the 6th Forum of Landscape ecological civilization. Three concepts integral to Sustainability Science in Beijing, China with the goal of landscape ecology will be essential for contributing inspiring the next generation of landscape ecologists to work toward a more sustainable future. This editorial represents the to an ecological civilization: (1) linking landscape outcome of a discussion on ecological civilization and the role patterns with biodiversity and ecosystem pro- that landscape ecology and landscape sustainability science cesses/function across scales, (2) measuring may play in helping achieve that and other related goals. A. E. Frazier (&)· C. Echeverria School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Laboratorio de Ecologia de Paisaje, Facultad de Ciencias Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA Forestales, Universidad de Concepcio´n, Concepcio´n, e-mail: [email protected] Chile B. A. Bryan C. Echeverria School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin Millennium Nucleus Center for the Socioeconomic University, Melbourne, Australia Impact of Environmental Policies (CESIEP), Santiago, Chile A. Buyantuev Department of Geography and Planning, University at P. Jia Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY Department of Earth Observation Science, Faculty of 12222, USA Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) and International Initiative on Spatial Lifecourse L. Chen Epidemiology (ISLE), University of Twente, 7500 State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Enschede, The Netherlands Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China L. Liu Center for Human-Environment System Sustainability 123 2 Landscape Ecol (2019) 34:1–8 connectivity and flows across spatially heterogeneous necessary to ensure the long-term health and well- systems, and (3) a systems understanding of the being of humans. This new way of approaching social linkages between disturbance, resilience, and recov- and ecological reform has been termed ‘ecological ery. Achieving an ecological civilization is within the civilization’ and represents a new standard of human scope of human capability, but it will require a existence that may be sustainable well into the future fundamental shift in world view and cooperation (Gare 2012; Heurtebise 2017). Ecological civilization amongst all actors in the human race. A key place to is founded on ecological principles but also requires start is with landscapes. This editorial provides integrated societal reforms including economic, perspectives from landscape ecology and landscape political, demographic, and educational transforma- sustainability science for achieving this goal. tions (Magdoff 2011; Wang 2013; Wang et al. 2014). It is a lofty goal to reform society, but given the grim trajectories forecast for climate change and other Introduction ecosystem services, it may represent our best hope for a sustainable global society. The Anthropocene epoch marks a fundamental change in the relationship between humans and nature (Heurtebise 2017). Human manipulation and What is ecological civilization? degradation of the environment has reached the point that cumulative global impacts are not only affecting In its simplest form, ecological civilization is a our food, fiber, and water systems but also threaten- dynamic equilibrium state where humans and nature ing people’s health and well-being (Whitmee et al. interact and function harmoniously. The concept of 2015). The October 2018 report from the Intergov- an ‘ecological culture’ is believed to have been put ernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns forth by a biologist in the former Soviet Union in the that we risk catastrophic environmental breakdown if 1980s (Gare 2012), but the concept did not see global warming is not kept to a maximum of 1.5 °C widespread practical use until the mid-2000s when (IPCC 2018). Reversing climate change and other the term ‘ecological civilization’ was translated and forms of ecological degradation is critical for the adopted by the Communist Party of China as an survival of many species, including humans (Magdoff explicit goal. Since then, China has embraced the 2011), but it will not occur without a transformational concept with vigor, notably as a central policy reduction in humanity’s environmental impact. objective mentioned at several national congresses Some societies have already begun reconsidering of the Chinese Communist Party and written into their relationship with nature and recognizing that China’s “13th Five-year Plan” (2016–2020), which drastic changes to protect our ecological systems are promotes the development of ecological civilization. (CHESS), State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface J. Wu Processes and Resource Ecology (ESPRE), Faculty of School of Life Sciences, School of Sustainability, Julie A. Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State Beijing, China University, Tempe, AZ, USA Q. Li J. Wu Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Center for Human–Environment System Sustainability Shanghai, China (CHESS), Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China Q. Li W.-N. Xiang Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, University Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, of North Carolina – Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China J. Yang Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Z. Ouyang Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, University, Beijing, China Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China 123 Landscape Ecol (2019) 34:1–8 3 Fig. 1 Publications on ecological civilization in Chinese core contain ‘生态文明 (ecological civilization)’ in their titles, journals and main statements in several reports of National abstracts, or keywords were searched in the China Knowledge Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Papers that Resource Integrated Database on 19 November 2018 While the term ‘ecological civilization’ and its fundamental shift in world view from the prevailing abridgement ‘eco-civilization’ have appeared in belief that humans must exhibit dominance over many Chinese State Reports and scientific publica- nature to a more eco-centric view where humans are tions over the last several decades (Fig. 1), the simply one component of a larger system. Environ- fundamental concept of humans co-existing with mental democracy, where humans are equal to all nature is not new in China. Indeed, the word “unity of forms of life (and non-living components) on Earth human and nature” (天人合一, in Chinese) dates with rights and responsibilities to both exploit and back thousands of years and forms the core concept protect the environment, is therefore an integral of several traditional Chinese religions including component of ecological civilization (Morrison Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. The term 1995). In other words, humans must play an active embodies a long-held philosophy and guiding prin- role in managing their relationship with nature. ciple of achieving harmony and balance in personal Currently, human appropriation of natural capital and social development. Therefore, the emergence of exceeds the regenerative capacity of the Earth’s life an ecological civilization in China is not necessarily support systems (Rockstro¨m et al. 2009), creating an the creation of entirely new concepts, vocabularies, unsustainable situation for our landscapes. If we are and attitudes but rather the reaffirmation of long-held, to reverse the degradation occurring in ecosystems traditional values (Slovic 2012). across the globe, specifically with respect to climate While there are multiple perspectives through change and biosphere integrity (Steffen et al. 2015), which ecological civilization can be viewed (e.g., humans will need to learn to meet their immediate values, culture, institutions, actions), above all, needs in a more balanced way that ensures the achieving ecological civilization requires a maintenance of the Earth’s life-support functions to provide goods and services in the long term. The question then becomes, how do we achieve
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