Overview
Sitka spruce has contributed to the Pacific Coast landscapes of North America for over ten millennia. For the Tlingit First Nationit is the most important tree in terms of spiritual relationships, art, and products in daily use such as canoes, containers, fish-traps and sweet cakes. Since the late nineteenth century it has also been the most important tree to the timber industry of west coast North America. This book takes a fresh look at Sitka spruce in Britain and Ireland, explaining the reasons it was introduced and why it became ubiquitous in the archipelagos of north-west Europe. The historical background to the modern use of Sitka spruce is explored. The lack of cultural reference may explain negative public response when tree-less uplands in the UK and reland were afforested with introduced conifer species, particularly Sitka spruce, following two World Wars. The multi-purpose forestry of today recognises that Sitka spruce is the most important tree to the timber industry and to a public which uses its many products but fails to recognise the link between growing trees and bought goods. The apparently featureless and wildlife-less Sitka spruce plantations in UK uplands are gradually developing recognisable ecological features. Sitka spruce has the potential to form temperate rainforests this century as well as to produce much-needed goods for society. The major contribution of Sitka spruce to landscapes and livelihoods in western North America is, by contrast, widely accepted. But conserving natural, old-growth forests, sustaining the needs of First Nations, and producing materials for the modern timber industry will be an intricate task.
Full Product Details
Author: Ruth Tittensor
Publisher: Windgather Press
Imprint: Windgather Press
Dimensions:
Width: 18.50cm
, Height: 2.50cm
, Length: 24.60cm
Weight: 1.066kg
ISBN: 9781909686779
ISBN 10: 1909686778
Pages: 375
Publication Date: 30 September 2016
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
...not only scholarly but wonderfully accessible, totally engaging, and a joy to read... Boring old Sitka is shown to be anything but boring. -- Gavin Strachan Royal Scottish Forestry Society
...not only scholarly but wonderfully accessible, totally engaging, and a joy to read... Boring old Sitka is shown to be anything but boring. -- Gavin Strachan Royal Scottish Forestry Society
Ruth Tittensor... has done a remarkable job in refuting much of the ill-informed and misguided comment about this species which one commonly encounters.This is a timely publication and one that should be read by anyone interested in the countryside, be they conservationists, foresters, landowners and planners. -- John McLoughlin Society of Irish Foresters ...not only scholarly but wonderfully accessible, totally engaging, and a joy to read... Boring old Sitka is shown to be anything but boring. -- Gavin Strachan Royal Scottish Forestry Society
Author Information
Ruth Tittensor studied botany at Oxford University and woodland ecology and history at Edinburgh University. She has since worked on numerous ecology and environmental history projects for estates, farmers, residents, small and large organisations, cooperaing with archaeologists, historians, archivists and community-groups on research in Scotland and southern England.
