The forest during the Wood Age: The management of this vital ecosystem explains the origin of sustainability

Abstract

Sustainability has been part of the global agenda since the 1980s. Yet, the concept emerged alongside the origins of silviculture in early modern Europe, particularly within the German, French, and English traditions during the 17th and early 18th centuries. During that period, forest management began to be guided by principles of long-term resource use expressed in texts and ordinances. The concurrent emergence of silviculture and sustainability is explained by the essential role that wood played for pre-industrial society. The possible shortage of this material represented a threat to the economy and well-being, and could trigger a profound social crisis. Evelyn, Colbert and von Carlowitz, who broadly shared an interest in future generations, framed the issue of an alleged wood shortage through proposals implemented by the State and the elite, based on scientific, technical, and legal instruments. However, sustainability was not conceived in the modern way based on the dominant approach of the interconnected pillars of environment, society, and economy, nor did it represent a general critique of a particular style of development. The sustained yield silviculture of the 18th century transformed after 300 years into ecological silviculture. This is a key component of the current paradigm of the sustainable forest management, in which disturbance and forest complexity and dynamics constitute central contributions of the ecological theory. The retrospective analysis presented here examines the motivation and socioeconomic context of the historical development of silviculture and sustainability, which contributes to understand the present and future challenges of conserving forest as a vital ecosystem for the biosphere and our own species.