wildlands

Wildlands is a term used to describe extensive areas of natural, largely undeveloped land where ecological processes shape landscapes with minimal direct human infrastructure. These areas can include forests, grasslands, deserts, mountains, wetlands, and tundra, and often support high biodiversity while providing ecosystem services such as water purification, flood control, soil stabilization, and carbon storage. Wildlands vary in size and degree of protection and are shaped by natural disturbance regimes as well as historical land use.

Conservation and management of wildlands focus on maintaining ecological integrity and the wellbeing of associated human communities. Strategies include establishing protected areas, safeguarding Indigenous and local community lands, promoting sustainable land use, ecological restoration, and reducing habitat fragmentation through planning and policy measures. The governance of wildlands ranges from national parks and nature reserves to community-conserved areas and private lands under conservation agreements, reflecting different legal frameworks and cultural contexts.

In popular culture, the term is widely known as the title of the 2017 video game Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands, developed by Ubisoft. The game features an open-world environment set in a fictionalized version of Bolivia and emphasizes exploration, stealth, and cooperative multiplayer play. Its depiction of vast, untamed landscapes has contributed to broader public perceptions of wildlands as expansive, resource-rich, and strategically significant spaces.