A Sand County Almanac: Part III: The Round River Summary & Analysis

The Round River was a fabled Wisconsin river, described in folktales, which was said to flow in a circle. Leopold explains that this was a parable, and the state of Wisconsin is itself a round river, a loop of energy, a circle of life. Leopold extends this metaphor, describing economics as being similar to riding on logs floating on the river, and national planning as being similar to the urge to control every log floating in the river at once.

Leopold complains that children in school are taught facts about biology, geology, agriculture, and engineering, but not about the importance of natural waterways. To understand water and streams, a student must understanding the “whole biotic landscape,” and must not specialize, as is often encouraged in schools. Leopold thinks the new field of ecology is the best way to understand the natural world and the round river of the ecosystem.

Leopold compares conservation to a friendship, in that it requires a harmony between humans and the land, and requires humans to accept everything about the land. For example, he explains “you cannot love game and hate predators.” A person can regulate the land, but not destroy any part of it, because it requires all parts to thrive. 

Leopold believes the most important discovery of the century has been how complicated the land is. He thinks it is essential not to evaluate individual components of the land as useful or valuable, but to consider the land as a whole. He argues that it is impossible to fully understand it, and if it cannot be fully understood, it is unreasonable to think that a person would be able to evaluate separate parts of it.

Leopold shares an anecdote about a German mountain. Humans have carefully managed it for over two hundred years. However, before it was carefully managed, one half of the mountain was clear-cut, and the other was preserved for deer hunting. Even though both sides of the mountain have benefited from two centuries of conservation, the soil on the side that was formerly clear-cut, and the trees themselves, are still unhealthy.

Leopold worries that conservation in America only cares about “show pieces,” and prioritizes the preservation of a few flashy organisms over the “cogs and wheels,” by which Leopold means the basic elements of an ecosystem that give it balance and harmony. He also argues that saving a single “show piece” species in a single location will not save it for long. To ensure the longevity of a species, a conservationist must save it “in many places if it is to be saved at all.”

Leopold argues that people use the wrong metrics when considering the best way to protect the natural world. He dislikes that many use economic arguments, and wishes instead people could develop “a refined taste in natural objects.” For example, scientists argue that wolves are necessary in an ecosystem because they kill deer. Hunters, in turn, argue that they can kill the deer themselves. Similarly, as forests in the north of Wisconsin are replanted, white cedars are omitted because they grow too slowly to be economically viable, even though they provide useful ecological diversity.

Humans have disrupted the biotic stream, and introduced new domesticated plants and animals into the ecosystem via farming, which affects the circle of life. Leopold does not yet know how replacing domesticated animals for wild ones will change the land, but he is not optimistic about the future of the landscape.

Leopold describes an ecological education as preparing a person to live alone “in a world of wounds.” People have hurt the earth, but few take the time to examine the damage.

Leopold thinks that, when modifying the environment, every person should consider two criteria: whether their change will maintain the fertility of the land, and whether their change will maintain a diverse ecosystem.

Leopold worries about “clean farming,” a kind of farming which is mean to restore the soil, but also requires that every animal and plant in the ecosystem be controlled by the farmer. Wild flora and fauna, as a result, are pushed out.

Leopold laments that private landowners do little to conserve their own land. He has observed that economic motivation wrecks the land, and wonders if it can be repurposed to instead protect the land. He notes that there is no social stigma against owning unhealthy or polluted land as long as it continues to make its owners money. He hopes that the next generation can be provided with a “conservation education,” and learn to value the land in more ways than one.