Countryside History , livre ebook

Like one of the ancient trees he wrote about so elegantly and perceptively, Oliver Rackham’s roots run deep while his influence branches far. He was undoubtedly the leading scholar in landscape history and historical ecology, and his work continues to resonate not just with his peers but with a much wider public audience too. His combination of extensive archival research, meticulous fieldwork and place-name analysis were truly ground-breaking. He not only changed the way we think about the landscape; he in fact altered that landscape in turn – enriching, clarifying, bringing it to life.

This book, which honours Rackham’s memory, is a unique collection of contributions from leading global authorities on countryside and landscape history. A number of chapters come from individuals who were his friends and collaborators, and they each share a debt to his scholarship and methods. Ranging all over Europe from Białowieża Forest in Poland to the Mediterranean, and across the world from New England to northern Japan, the wealth of perspectives gathered here makes for a diverse and weighty discussion.

Collectively, the contributions represent an acknowledgment of Rackham’s huge impact and influence at the same time as offering a benchmark for current thinking in countryside history worldwide. This volume will appeal to researchers, postgraduate students, final-year undergraduates, lecturers and scholars on the one hand, but also to anyone who loves the countryside and is fascinated by its complex history. As we lose irreplaceable heritage landscapes to climate change and development, an understanding of what they are and what they mean only becomes more vital.

Foreword by Peter Grubb

Information on Contributors

Introduction: An Overview of the work and influences of Oliver Rackham Ian D. Rotherham and Jennifer A. Moody

PART I: WOODLAND STUDIES IN ENGLAND

1. Concepts of Ancient Woodland George Peterken

2. The Influence of Oliver Rackham in our Understanding of Wooded Landscapes Della Hooke

3. How the Wildwood Worked: Rackham’s Contribution to Forest Ecology Adrian C. Newton

4. Stability and Change in Woodland Ground Flora Keith Kirby

5. Echoes of the Wildwood? Investigating the Historical Ecology of some Warwickshire Lime Woodlands 1986–2000 David R. Morfitt

PART II: EUROPEAN STUDIES

6. On the Shoulders of Oliver Rackham Frans Vera

7. Forest History versus Pseudo-History: The Relevance of Oliver Rackham’s Concepts in the Conservation of Białowieza: a Primeval Forest Tomasz Samojlik, Piotr Daszkiewicz and Aurika Ričkienė

8. Old-Growth Forests in the Eastern Alps: Management and Protection Elisabeth Johann

9. Biocultural Landscapes of Europe: A Journey with Oliver Rackham Gloria Pungetti

PART III: MEDITERRANEAN STUDIES

10. Trees Grow Again: Greece and the Mediterranean in Oliver Rackham’s Publications J. Donald Hughes

11. Friend or Foe? Oak Agroforestry Systems in the Mediterranean and the Role of Grazing Thanasis Kizos

12. The Irreplaceable Trees of Crete Jennifer A. Moody

13. Walking in Sacred Forests with Oliver Rackham: A Conversation about Relict Landscapes in Epirus, North-West Greece Rigas Tsiakiris, Kalliopi Stara, Valentino Marini Govigli and Jennifer L.G. Wong

14. Historical Ecology and the History of ‘Individual Landscapes’: Oliver Rackham’s Field Visits to Liguria (North-West Italy) Roberta Cevasco, Diego Moreno and Charles Watkins

PART IV: APPROACHES TO COUNTRYSIDE RESEARCH

15. Oliver Rackham, Archives and Ancient Woodland Research Melvyn Jones

16. From Household Equipment to Countryside in Eleventh-Century Bavaria Richard Hoffmann

17. It’s a Fair Coppice: Methodological Considerations of the History of Woodland Management Péter Szabó

18. Oliver Rackham and Shadow Woods Ian D. Rotherham

19. Oliver Rackham and the Archaeology of Ancient Woods of Norfolk Tom Williamson

PART V: WIDER PERSPECTIVES

20. Reflections from the Antipodes Paul Adam

21. Managing Pollards and the Last Forest Vikki Bengtsson

22. The Value and Meaning of Traditional Natural Resource Use Systems in Satoyama Landscapes in Japan Katsue Fukamachi

23. Pollard Beech Trees in Snowy Areas of Japan Tohru Nakashizuka, Hideo Miguchi and Tomohiko Kamitani

24. So Human a Landscape: Oliver Rackham’s Influence on a New England Ecologist Henry W. Art

PART VI: LEGACY, ARCHIVE, AND PUBLICATIONS

25. Conclusions: The Legacy of Oliver Rackham Jennifer A. Moody and Ian D. Rotherham

An Oliver Rackham Bibliography

Index