Abstract
Nature is socially constructed and many different environmental conditions can be considered natural. These assertions have profound implications for landscape design, planning, and management. In our case study of Whitetop Mountain, we found four discrete but closely related natures— ecotourism, romanticism, pastoralism, and ecologism—each of which provides a unique way of understanding and valuing the landscape. These discourses of nature describe a variety of different environmental conditions that are both possible and acceptable at Whitetop Mountain. Each discourse suggests a different definition of environmental quality and a different vision of the mountain’s future. In conclusion, we discuss implications of these differing discourses of nature for the design, planning, and management of natural landscapes and propose a fifth discourse— bioculturalism.
