Rewilding Agricultural Landscapes: A California Study in Rebalancing the Needs of People and Nature

I enjoyed reading this book, subtitled A California Study in Rebalancing the Needs of People and Nature. The book is made up of chapters by contributors who have previously published extensively on this geographic area and synthesizes the state of knowledge and prospects for the future. While the challenges of growers in this important food-providing sector are different than in some other places, learning of the problems and the potential solutions is instructive. The tone is optimistic and contributors see the abandonment of farmland as a great opportunity to change things up and restore the native biota. In this Mediterranean climate, with fertile deep soils, there were more than 2 million acres converted to farmland in the San Joaquin Valley. Orchards of almonds and pistachios occupied 4 million acres. The area makes one-quarter of all the fruits and vegetables produced in the United States. The scarcity of water makes it more difficult for all land previously farmed in the San Joaquin Valley to continue producing crops as they depend on irrigation in this water-scarce environment. Fragments of ecosystems are described as “faded blueprints of the future.” Less than 30% of the native habitat remains today, but from those fragments it may be possible to replenish the flora that was erased when farms were created. In reestablishing populations of plants and animals, genetic considerations are important, so that as much variation as may have previously existed might be obtained by using individuals from many subpopulations. The best prospects for rewilding are areas where former farms may be combined into larger reserves, where habitat value can be higher and there will be less negative impact of taking land areas out of production. So many interesting species exist in this valley, such as the San Joaquin woolythread. This endangered plant, an annual forb in the sunflower family, depends on animals for its existence. Plants occur only around the burrows of giant kangaroo rats, who clean competing annual grasses away; the low-growing stature of the plants protects them from clipping by the rodents, and their fruits are burrs that catch rides on rodents to other hospitable places. The kangaroo rats have been extensively studied and models can predict where they might live, but changing climate may alter the scenario as places get warmer, particularly for the plants. Rewilding may improve human health and also help mitigate toward the state’s climate change mitigation goals. Soil carbon storage will increase dramatically when fields are no longer tilled and herbaceous and woody plants take hold. But realistically, only some of the farmland may revert to wildlands, and it is recommended that farmers make their lands more profitable by enlisting natural enemies and pollinators that can be supported by hedgerows and wildflower strips within the farms. Governmental changes could make it easier to accomplish rewilding, making the permitting process easier, providing funding opportunities and tax credits to farmers who accept the challenge. Public education is essential to enlist participation and acceptance by residents, as well as partnering with environmental organizations working toward these goals. The book ends with the vision of this great rewilding project, with hopes that it may replenish the water table and provide many other benefits to people, ameliorating health hazards and climate change. Nearly 40 contributors to this book provide a multitude of perspectives, and include scientists, land managers, natural