Write a topic on advantage and disadvantage of scientific forestry
Answers
Around 1850 Britain had no forestry service and there was no formal training of foresters. Forestry was still practised in the context of estates mainly owned by the aristocracy and managed by foresters who had learned the traditional management techniques under an apprentice system from their predecessors. British forestry was fragmented, not formalised, and far from centralised during the entire 19th century. Most of the forestry remained concentrated on large privately owned estates, especially in Scotland, where it served the double purpose of ornamental woods and, to a lesser extent, wood production for local use.1The British Government and many landowners did not feel the necessity to increase timber production and introduce modern formalised forestry practices from the continent because the British had direct access to the large timber reserves of their Empire, of Scandinavia and the Baltic states. Importing timber from overseas was much cheaper than to produce it back home in Britain.2 At the same time the expansion of commercial agriculture under the East Indian Company and later the construction of the railways seriously depleted timber resources on the Indian sub-continent. In response the colonial authorities in India created the Indian Forestry Service and introduced modern scientific forestry from continental Europe in order to prevent further destruction of the forest resources.3 Back in Britain, some Scottish landowners realised that the potential for forestry in Scotland was considerable and that by creating and expanding forestry they could make their estates more profitable. The creation of demonstration forests, university lectureships and the introduction of scientific forestry from the Continent were all desired and encouraged by Scottish landowners and forester alike. However, the needed expertise was not available in Britain and landowners and foresters had to look overseas to find people who possessed experience with the desired scientific forestry methods. In this paper it will be argued that modern British forestry is rooted within a colonial forestry ideology based on a reductionist scientific approach which originated in France and Germany. In addition it will also be shown that Scottish landowners, foresters and universities played an important part in the introduction and dissemination of scientific forestry in Britain.
Around 1850 Britain had no forestry service and there was no formal training of foresters. Forestry was still practised in the context of estates mainly owned by the aristocracy and managed by foresters who had learned the traditional management techniques under an apprentice system from their predecessors. British forestry was fragmented, not formalised, and far from centralised during the entire 19th century. Most of the forestry remained concentrated on large privately owned estates, especially in Scotland, where it served the double purpose of ornamental woods and, to a lesser extent, wood production for local use.1The British Government and many landowners did not feel the necessity to increase timber production and introduce modern formalised forestry practices from the continent because the British had direct access to the large timber reserves of their Empire, of Scandinavia and the Baltic states. Importing timber from overseas was much cheaper than to produce it back home in Britain.2 At the same time the expansion of commercial agriculture under the East Indian Company and later the construction of the railways seriously depleted timber resources on the Indian sub-continent. In response the colonial authorities in India created the Indian Forestry Service and introduced modern scientific forestry from continental Europe in order to prevent further destruction of the forest resources.3 Back in Britain, some Scottish landowners realised that the potential for forestry in Scotland was considerable and that by creating and expanding forestry they could make their estates more profitable. The creation of demonstration forests, university lectureships and the introduction of scientific forestry from the Continent were all desired and encouraged by Scottish landowners and forester alike. However, the needed expertise was not available in Britain and landowners and foresters had to look overseas to find people who possessed experience with the desired scientific forestry methods. In this paper it will be argued that modern British forestry is rooted within a colonial forestry ideology based on a reductionist scientific approach which originated in France and Germany. In addition it will also be shown that Scottish landowners, foresters and universities played an important part in the introduction and dissemination of scientific forestry in Britain.