European Woods and Forests : Studies in Cultural History

Prior to the industrial revolution, the timber provided by the forests and woodlands of Europe was the main fuel and an important raw material for construction, including the machinery of war.

In addition, the flora and fauna were an important source of food and other materials.

Consequently, the varied landscapes of today are often a result of past management policies which were closely linked to important events and cultural developments in human history.

This is a source of information for historians and conservationists who wish to preserve our cultural heritage.

This book is an interdisciplinary work, derived from an international conference of forest historians organized at Nottingham University in September 1996 in association with the British Ecological society and the International Union of Forest Research Organisations.

In it, historians, geographers and foresters who are leading authorities explore recent developments in the study of the cultural history of European forests in a wide selection of case studies from Scotland, Central England, Spain, germany and Israel. A theoretical consideration of the concept of ancient woodland and the social construction of nature is also included.

The book should be reading for landscape historians, geographers and foresters and should also a useful for advanced students and professionals in ecology, conservation and land management.