Forests, Forest History

The synantropic landscape history of the Šumava Mountains (Czech side)

by Jaromír Beneš

The full understanding of the human occupation and landscape development of the Šumava region (Czech side) requires... more The full understanding of the human occupation and landscape development of the Šumava region (Czech side) requires the acceptance of a certain geographic countryside articulation. This paper aims to define several highland historical zones reflecting different kinds of human impact on the forest. Zone I. is not represented in the Šumava region, but it is necessarry to note it for the sake of completness. This zone would be represented by Bohemian and Bavarian lowland areas with a continua l prehistoric agricultural tradition. Zone II. (Fig.1) has been defined by the presence of rural prehistoric and early mediaeval human groups, limited however by countryside settlement discontinuity. The boundary of zone II. was established according to the presence or absence of prehistoric and early mediaeval archaeological finds. Zone II. is in evidence in the Šumava foothills, where the inhabitants changed the original holocene forest into an open la ndscape. Since that time the landscape has been covered by scattered islands of wood. Zone III. could be defined as a landscape belt strongly influenced by high mediaeval colonisation. In order to define the boundary of zone III. written sources dating from before the Czech Husitian War (1420) have been used. These sources are the first historical record of the existence of these villages. The forest here is more compact and less affected by human activity. Finally, the highest part of the Šumava Mts. (zone IV.) was occupied later, namely in 18th and 19th century following some pre-industrial and industrial activity. All the zones were crossed by interregional trade paths, which have apparently existed here since the Bronze Age (2000 BC). The period of greatest activity along the trade paths was connected with the mediaeval salt trade between the Alpine region and Bohemia. The natural forest was long affected by pasture, the cutting of wood and glass making activity, which gradualy resulted in the dramatic reduction of several dominant wood species, namely beech and fir.

Environmental History: A New Discipline with Long Traditions

by Timo Myllyntaus

Timo Myllyntaus & Mikko Saikku, “Environmental History, A New Discipline with Long Traditions,” In: Encountering the Past in Nature, Essays in Environmental History, Ed. by Timo Myllyntaus and Mikko Saikku, 1st edition, Helsinki: Helsinki University Press 1999, pp. 17-26, 2nd edition, Athens, OH: Ohio University Press 2001, pp. 1-28.

El mar en el interior. La provincia marítima de Segura de la Sierra

by Amparo López Arandia

published in DUBERT, I. y SOBRADO CORREA, H. (eds.): El mar en los siglos modernos. Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, 2009, vol. I, pp. 437-450.
ISBN: 978-84-613-0646

En la primera mitad del siglo XVIII, la demanda de madera para la construcción de la Real Fábrica de Tabacos de... more En la primera mitad del siglo XVIII, la demanda de madera para la construcción de la Real Fábrica de Tabacos de Sevilla y con posterioridad, para la construcción naval, convirtió, de manera paradójica, en provincia marítima una zona del interior peninsular entre los reinos de Jaén, Granada y Murcia, en la cabecera de los ríos Guadalquivir y Segura.

La Provincia Marítima de Segura de la Sierra quedó integrada por cincuenta y una poblaciones, en gran parte, tradicionalmente vinculadas a la orden de Santiago, y en menor medida a territorios de realengo y señorío.

El objetivo de nuestro trabajo será analizar qué supuso la conformación de esta demarcación en el siglo XVIII desde distintos puntos de vista: el nacimiento de diversas instituciones para regular la explotación maderera, primero con la creación de un Real Negociado de Maderas, establecido en Sevilla, con una subdelegación en Segura, cuya actividad se inició en 1733 perviviendo hasta 1836; y años después, con la definitiva formación de la Provincia Marítima tras la promulgación, en 1748, de unas Ordenanzas de Montes, por Fernando VI; los efectos que dicha explotación tuvo sobre las poblaciones que la integraron, prestando especial atención al surgimiento de conflictos entre la Alta Administración y las sociedades locales, así como las consecuencias del choque de intereses producido entre los dos organismos responsables de su control: las secretarías de Hacienda y de Marina.

Methods in Environmental History

by Timo Myllyntaus

Reference:
Timo Myllyntaus, “Preface: Methods in Environmental History,” In: Thinking through the Environment. Green Approaches to Global History, (Ed.) Timo Myllyntaus, Cambridge, White Horse Press, 2011, pp. 1-14.

History and spatial complexity of deforestation and logging in small private forests

by Marc Deconchat

Despite awareness of the importance of taking historical factors into account to understand drivers of present... more Despite awareness of the importance of taking historical factors into account to understand drivers of present biodiversity, few studies have considered long-term forest historical data because of the difficulty involved in reconstructing forest management history. Our aim was to trace the management history of small private forests, which are the most frequent type of woodlands in France, as they play a major ecological role. We analyzed forest continuity and logging history of a group of small private forests that formed a continuous forest before 1771. Thanks to two old maps (Cassini's map - dating from around 1771 - and Napoleon's cadastral map - from around 1825) and aerial photographs (1942-2006). we were able to reconstruct forest continuity for 235 years and logging history after 1942 at a fine scale by adapting a regressive photo interpretation method in a GIS. Between 1771 and 1942, we detected both fragmentation and a decrease in total forest area following the conversion of forest land into agricultural land. However, the selection criteria of deforested areas changed over time. After 1942, the situation was reversed due to rural depopulation. Traditional logging activities continued after 1942, resulting in a complex mosaic of stands with different logging histories. The only change in logging modalities was a decrease in the quantity of wood harvested (smaller cuttings) after the 1980s. We discuss how such temporally and spatially complex management modalities could affect plant biodiversity in these farm forests.

“Dorothea Mitchell: a Biographical Sketch"

by Michel S Beaulieu

In The Lady Lumberjack: An Annotated Anthology of Dorothea Mitchell’s Writings, ed. Michel S. Beaulieu and Ronald Harpelle. Thunder Bay: Centre for Northern Studies Press, 2005, pp. ii-xvi

”’Tavallansa talo elääpi, puulla pirtti lämpiääpi,’ Energia Suomen historiassa

by Timo Myllyntaus

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, ”’Tavallansa talo elääpi, puulla pirtti lämpiääpi,’ Energia Suomen historiassa” [Energy in Finnish History], Tekniikan Waiheita – Teknik i Tiden vol. 19 (2001) no 2, pp. 13-20.

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Abstract:

The amble use of energy has always been an important part of the Finnish way of life - not... more .
Abstract:

The amble use of energy has always been an important part of the Finnish way of life - not least because of the climate, industrial structure and long distances. Fire and firewood have held a central position in everyday live. The decisions concerning the use of energy had far-reaching consequences already in the 19th century.

" Unlikely Alliances: Encounters between State Science, Nature Spirits, and Indigenous Industrial Forestry in Mexico, 1926–2008"

by Andrew Mathews

Relikte einer spätmittelalterlichen Zeidlerei in der Oberpfalz. To be published in: Siedlungsforschung. Archäologie – Geschichte – Geographie. Schwerpunktthema „Konsum und Kulturlandschaft"

by Lukas Werther

Co-authored with H. Losert, B. Niemeyer and F. Turner. Paper shortly before completion.

Schlacken, Scherben, Schlachtabfälle – archäologische Untersuchungen zu Ökonomie, Ökologie und Konsum im frühmittelalterlichen Nordbayern. To be published in: Siedlungsforschung. Archäologie – Geschichte – Geographie. Schwerpunktthema „Konsum und Kulturlandschaft"

by Lukas Werther

Submitted.

Historical-sociological as well as medievistic research has so far not dealt with the history of consumption in the... more Historical-sociological as well as medievistic research has so far not dealt with the history of consumption in the early Middle Ages and its impact on the cultural landscape. This interdisciplinary case study discusses selected aspects of the topic for northern Bavaria. The first section focuses on the theoretical and methodological basis with a special emphasis on spatial, temporal and social differences within the system of consumption. The second part of the study analyses archaeological and historical sources on the concrete effects of consumption on the cultural landscape in early medieval northern Bavaria. Central to this is a reconsideration of the carolingian “Banzer Reichsurbar” from the perspective of the history of consumption.

Die historisch-soziologische Konsumforschung und auch die Mediävistik haben sich bislang wenig mit der Geschichte des Konsums im Frühmittelalter auseinandergesetzt und sein kulturlandschaftlicher Niederschlag wurde kaum thematisiert. In einer interdisziplinären Fallstudie werden ausgewählte Teilaspekte des Themenfeldes für Nordbayern diskutiert. Ein theoretisch-methodisch orientierter Abschnitt fokussiert auf räumliche, zeitliche und soziale Unterschiede innerhalb des Konsumsystems. Der zweite Teil der Studie setzt sich anhand archäologisch-historischer Befunde mit konkreten Auswirkungen des Konsums auf die Kulturlandschaft im frühmittelalterlichen Nordbayern auseinander. Im Zentrum steht dabei eine Neubetrachtung des karolingerzeitlichen Banzer Reichsurbars aus der Perspektive der Konsumgeschichte.

Aarniometsästä puupeltoon: Metsät Suomen taloudessa

by Timo Myllyntaus

Reference:

Timo Myllyntaus, “Aarniometsästä puupeltoon: Metsät Suomen taloudessa,” [From old-growth forest to field of trees: Forests in the Finnish economy],Ympäristöhistorian näkökulmia, Piispan apajilta trooppiseen helvettiin, Ed. Timo Soikkanen, Turun yliopiston poliittisen historian laitoksen tutkimuksia 14,  Turku: Turun yliopisto 1999, pp. 88-103.

Female in a Forest Town: The Marginalization of Women in Port Alberni’s Economy.

by Brian Egan

Co-authored with Susanne Klausen. Pubished in: BC Studies, No. 118 (Summer 1998).

El proceso histórico de ordenación de los seles de Bizkaia: estandarización de las superficies y cambios en los usos del suelo

by Inaki Moro

Del uso común del monte a la propiedad privada: introducción al estudio de los Seles en Bizkaia

by Inaki Moro

Changing Forests, Moving Targets in Finland

by Timo Myllyntaus

Reference:

“Changing Forests, Moving Targets in Finland,” In: Restoration and History. The Search for a Usable Environmental Past, Ed. Marcus Hall, Routledge Studies in Modern History vol. 8, London: Routledge 2010, pp. 46-57.

Abstract

Finland is one of the most forested countries in Europe. Forests cover approximately 66 % of its... more Abstract

Finland is one of the most forested countries in Europe. Forests cover approximately 66 % of its land area. Because the management of forests is primarily dedicated to produce timber for wood-processing industries, in the southern half of the country less than two per cent of forests is conserved. The public opinion, however, presumes that even ten per cent of our forests are old-growth forests and expects a further expansion of forest conservation. The European Commission has set similar goals urging conservation.

The problem is how to restore old growth forest, which were cut decades ago. One idea is to transform a part of modern economic forests into old-growth forests. This scheme sounds simple: leave the forest chosen for conservation to manage on its own and let time take care of restoration. However, forest is not a pendulum that simply slides back to its starting point. Moreover, is the "starting point", primeval forest, the only value of forested nature for conservation?

The article claims that forest – even modern economic forest – is an environment with several historical layers and some of them have been under vivid discussion on symbols of national heritage. Historical marks of swidden cultivation, tar production, timber cutting and grazing are still preserved in modern forests, which form a great deal of our cultural landscapes. Are these valuable enough to be conserved? If the reply is positive, conservationists have to make choices at what historical environment they are aiming. Then foresters and various other specialists, including historians of technology, are needed to identify cultural and ecological layers in the history of forests, find methods for their restoration and achieve the chosen goal of conservation. Focusing on issues, how to identify historical layers in actual forested landscapes and simulate natural processes, and what are chances to success in this kind of task, will form the central part of the article.

More-than-human histories and the failure of grand state schemes: sylviculture in the New Forest, England

by Carl Griffin

Cultural Geographies, 17, 4 (2010)

As James Scott’s Seeing Like a State attests, forests played a central role in the rise of the modern state,... more As James Scott’s Seeing Like a State attests, forests played a central role in the rise of the modern state, specifically as test spaces for evolving methods of managing state resources at a distance, and as the location for grand state schemes. Together, such ambitions necessitated both the elimination of local understandings of forest management — to be replaced by centrally controlled scientific precision — and a narrowing of state vision. Forests thus began to be conflated with trees (and their timber) alone. All other aspects of the forest, both human and non-human, were ignored. Through the lens of the 18th and early 19th century New Forest in southern England, this paper examines the impact of government attempts to shift the focus of state forests from being remnant medieval hunting spaces to spaces of income generation through the creation of vast sylvicultural plantations. This state scheme not only reworked the relationship between the metropole and the provinces — something effected through systematic surveys and novel bureaucratic procedures — but also dramatically impacted upon the biophysical and cultural geographies of the forest. By equating forest space with trees alone, the British state failed to legislate for the actions of both local commoners and non-human others in resisting their schemes. Indeed, subsequent oppositions proved not only the tenacity of commoners in protecting their livelihoods but also the destructive power of non-human actants, specifically rabbits and mice. The paper concludes that grand state schemes necessarily fail due to their own internal illogic: the narrowing of state vision creates blind spots in which human and non-human lives assert their own visions.