What interactions among natural, cultural, social and economic capitals explain the adoption of blueberry cultivation in the Retreat area of New Jersey during the period 1800--1950

Landscapes in the US and throughout the world are changing rapidly. Natural lands are being impacted by development and resource bases threatened as a result of societal pressures. This research seeks to fill a gap in the existing land use planning literature by focusing on the drivers of landscape change in a social-ecological model of inquiry. A socio-ecological approach using an agent-based model was used in researching this question in order to identify the interactions between the social, cultural, economic and natural capitals that led to the successful adoption of the blueberry into commercial agriculture. The adaptive cycle concept put forth by Gunderson and Holling was used to identify the landscape phases that led to the formation of the cultural landscape in Retreat, New Jersey. Then the agent-based model of Matthews and Robins was used to identify the specific drivers of landscape change that led to the adoption of the blueberry into row crop agriculture.;The findings in this case study can lead to a greater understanding of the role of social networks and governance as drivers of landscape change and the role of sense of place in fostering landscape resilience.