Such a pleasing word - silviculture. My understanding of this broad yet complex topic has grown considerably in the last few weeks. I knew it concerned the growth of trees but little more than that simple fact. 'Silva' means forest in Latin and the origins of the word 'culture' are also Latin - from colere, meaning to tend/cultivate. The tending and cultivating are key - silviculture is “the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the targeted diverse needs and values of landowners and society on a sustainable basis.” (Nieuwenhuis, 2000). The use of the word 'art' here has been challenged and, as the daughter of an artist who has been a craftswoman for many years, I do not think silviculture is an art. I can understand the appeal of it in defining the practice, but it suggests a level of insular freedom and personal expression that are not applicable. Craft is a better counterbalance to science implying a framework of learnt practical skills that must be applied with care and accuracy. The rest of the quote seems apt and worth memorising; a succinct explanation for when I am asked about my studies.
There are many silvicultural systems that may be used in the management of woodland and forests, depending on your aims, and these can be somewhat subverted over time as economics/politics/nature can all impact outcomes. Tree growing is a long game....humans aren't the best at long games. Planning for scenarios that may come to fruition way beyond our earthly demise is not a strength, but that is what forestry is - planting and caring for trees that will benefit your children, at best, more likely your grandchildren and beyond.
Pliny the Elder (AD 23/24-79) is credited with one of the earliest references to silviculture in his 37 volume encyclopaedia Naturalis Historia. He refers to various forestry practices and their effect on the landscape. Ancient Greek and Roman populations were no strangers to unsustainable harvesting as they felled forests to meet the needs of their growing economies and military campaigns - mining, agriculture, shipbuilding, expanding populations and, above all, fuel wood, all demanded huge amounts of timber. He wrote "often indeed devastating torrents unite when from hills has been cut away the wood that used to hold the rains and absorb them". Whilst there was some awareness of the need to manage forests for future supplies and to mitigate the effects of erosion and siltation, it was not enough to stem the tide of irreversible deforestation in the Mediterranean. The interconnectedness of nature and its ecosystems was not understood and the voices of concern were few and far between. In this sense, then, silviculture, as defined above, was not being practised. The intensive removal of trees without regeneration, natural or planted, was certainly not sustainable, although vast areas were planted with olive trees which were a highly lucrative crop. These societies travelled further and further afield to source their wood, leaving barren landscapes with little soil for new growth to cling to.
An ancient olive tree and woodland leaf litter - Mallorca 2016
Fast forward several hundred years to the work of Hans Carl von Carlowitz and we arrive at probably the first true body of work on silviculture, as we understand it today. Faced with a dwindling supply of timber (again through extensive deforestation), essential to the mining industry in which he operated, von Carlowitz produced 'Sylvicultura Oeconomica' (1713) - a detailed treatise on forestry. A translation of the full title of the work is worth repeating here..."Silvicultural Economics - or the economic news and instructions for the natural growing of wild trees, besides thorough explanation how with gods good will the ever stronger scarcity of timber is to be managed by sowing, growing and planting of seedlings, also through wild and planned cultivation of a once cut and barren land can again be made useful as timber land - through the collection of seeds from seed trees, the preparation of soil for sowing and the care of seedlings. Besides, how to multiply the timber harvest at every stage of growth, the types of broad-leaf and needle trees and their seeds, also how to manage foreign kinds of trees, and further how to fell trees and make charcoal or other uses from the wood. To be the best utility for the heating, building, brewing, mining and smelting activities requires the careful management of sustainable forestry resources.“
A rather splendid cover adorned the original publication in 1713. The large red font translates as 'wild tree growing' which bodes well for the content. If I wanted to read it now the best way would apparently be to obtain a scanned copy from the Digital Library of Munich, but it would be wonderful to handle an original, in the company of a German speaker for maximum effect I think. The significance of this book is that it described the concept of sustainability in forestry, all be it for economic gain, bringing together the scientific and practical knowledge of the time in one volume. We still haven't reached the point of including the more ephemeral needs of society - caring for the woods for the sake of caring, valuing their beauty, how they make us feel, what they teach us about nature - although I am certain there were many who felt that way about their natural environment. Meeting those subjective 'needs and values....of society...' is a relatively new aim of the forestry sector having emerged alongside the growth of environmentalism over the last 50 years. Even so, it often appears that lip service has been paid to these ideals with limited concrete evidence, globally, of a shift in behaviour towards protecting our forests and not treating them primarily as a resource to be mined. With the deepening climate crisis that we now face, embracing a broad definition of silviculture is more crucial than ever - to protect biodiversity, sequester carbon, respect indigenous peoples lands, maintain soil and water quality, secure sustainable timber production and provide healthy forests for recreation. Put simply, to be custodians of nature for future generations.
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