200 years of sustainability in forestry: Lessons from history |
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Authors: | K Freerk Wiersum |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Forestry, Wageningen Agricultural University, P.O. Box 342, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Since the end of the 1980s the concept of sustainable development has gained general acceptance, but much uncertainty still
exists on how to operationalize this concept. In forestry the concept of sustainability has been an accepted principle since
the 18th century. The experiences with its application in forestry may contribute towards obtaining a better insight into
the implications and operational significance of the concept of sustainability. This article describes the history of sustainability
in forestry, including the various social values on which its interpretation has been based. The original principle of sustained
yield has gradually been broadened to a more inclusive principle of sustainable forest management. The dynamics in social
valuation of forest resources resulted in various attempts at practical operationalization of the principle. Notwithstanding
200 years of efforts to operationalize the concept of sustainability, its exact application in forestry remains troublesome.
Three lessons are drawn: (1) the need to recognize the different nature of ecological limits and social dynamics, (2) the
role of dynamic social values with respect to forest resources, and (3) the significance of operational experiences in trying
to attain sustainability within a concrete context. |
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Keywords: | Forestry history Forest management Sustained yield Sustainable development Social values |
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