A Definition for Wildness

Abstract

This article considers definitions of wildness as a system that produces wilderness and wild things. Wildness is defined as a quality of interactive processing between an organism and its surroundings in which the realities of base natures are met, allowing the construction of durable systems. Wildness is a process that has become an otherness to humans but nevertheless remains a source of insight and inspiration. In seeking to define wildness, a distinction is made between wildness and naturalness so that, while everything is natural, the quality of wildness can vary or become dysfunctional. In relation to wildness, an organism's internal quality is improved through the parsimonious arrangement and coordination of one's adaptations and internal drivers, while its external quality is achieved through attunement with one's surroundings. With wildness, an organism gains internal clarity, thereby presenting a consistent face or purpose to which other organisms can adapt. In comparison, the rejection of wildness and the use of artificial systems produce a confused and unstable basis for internal and external interaction, resulting in rapid change. The inability of humans to be wild in our social system is due to confusion about the drivers in our biological core that foils attempts at attunement.

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

“…). Cumulatively, these emergent properties of flux, dynamism, and autonomy can be called “wildness” (Evanoff ; Mallon & Stanley Price ; Pickett ), where interactive processing between organisms and their environment produces resilient systems (Cookson ). Thus, wildness is an integral property of ecosystem functioning and potentially ecosystem service delivery.…”

“…The dynamic functional relationships between and within species sustain biodiversity by creating niches and generating landscape heterogeneity, thus establishing feedback loops between ecological and evolutionary processes (Erwin 2008;Laland & Boogert 2010;Odling-Smee et al 2013). Cumulatively, these emergent properties of flux, dynamism, and autonomy can be called "wildness" (Evanoff 2005;Mallon & Stanley Price 2013;Pickett 2013), where interactive processing between organisms and their environment produces resilient systems (Cookson 2011). Thus, wildness is an integral property of ecosystem functioning and potentially ecosystem service delivery.…”

“…Selective pressures may be different in human-modified landscapes ("novel ecosystems"; Hobbs et al 2013), but degrees of wildness can still occur if species are provided with the opportunity to adapt to these pressures through natural selection and fulfill their functional roles within the landscape. Management that enables interaction between all components of the ecosystem will work to "produce wild things" (Cookson 2011) even within novel environments.…”

A cladogram and taxonomy for emotions

“…In nature, animals usually live a relatively wild and free state where they can do, or try to do, whatever they want according to their own internal honesty (Cookson, 2011). They can pursue a simple psychology of pain and pleasure.…”

A Desire for Parsimony

“…The key to understanding the value of wildness is that it focuses upon measuring the interactive quality that an animal can have internally and externally, and has been defined as a quality of interactive processing between organism and nature where the realities of base natures are met, allowing the construction of durable systems [ 24 ]. A wild animal is more connected and honest to its environment, more automatic and intuitive in its skill base, and more likely to give fast and appropriate reactions.…”