Do we need a new land ethics?

Land ethics is usually associated with the proposal of Aldo Leopold to interpret and respect land as integral part of life. Today, land ethics is a neglected field of research in ethics. This contribution argues that a new land ethics is obligatory. Land has become a particularly contested resource. Instead of reiterating the proposals of Leopold and of either his followers or his critiques, this contribution tries to develop new horizons for discussing land as a particularly valuable resource. Against the backdrop of plant ethics, of land as a political category, and of concepts of natural heritage, land receives a normative meaning. This helps to think anew about land ethics as an important ingredient in environmental ethics.