Bridging forest history and forest ecology: Why it is important to understand the history of forests and what are the main sources and methods.

Abstract

Forests provide essential ecosystem services and carry deep cultural significance for many societies, historically and presently, and they always have a history. In this perspective paper, we discuss the relevance of studying this history of forests particularly through interdisciplinary studies and we provide an overview on the main and most valuable historical source types and methods, crosscutting the humanities and the natural sciences. We propose a culture of interdisciplinary exchange between scholars interested in the "cultural forest history" and those interested in "ecological forest history" which has the potential to provide a deeper understanding of the interrelationship between ecosystems and humans. We therefore recommend including some of the retrospective methods listed in broader ecological studies and contextualizing ecological research by adding a historical analysis as a separate entity for important forest landscapes.