The research scope of this thesis focused on traditional forest management practices in eastern Psiloritis Mountain in Crete, employing oral history, archival information and GIS. The main focus was over the end of the 19th century till present. The useful and productive forest of the past, extensively exploited by local populations, is often considered nowadays as unproductive and thus neglected by modern society. Historical and social incidences influenced the behaviour of local population towards natural resources and their interaction with their natural environment has changed over time. Therefore, different traditional management practices were applied locally in the past and recorded in this thesis. A unique forest landscape was evolved based on a complex system of interactions among the trees with animals and the human population that were dependent on the forest. The use of GIS helped unveil a wealth of information further elucidating archival material and explain better different geographical phenomena. Several management practices of the past contributed for the creation of a rich biodiversity and cultural elements helped shape the forest landscape of Psiloritis. The importance of this traditional management was highlighted with regard to the conservation of the forest today. In this way the thesis shows that forest history can help modern forestry to establish a more effective management of the forests for the benefit both of the environment and the society.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:548933 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Arvanitis, Panteleimon |
| Publisher | University of Nottingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/12324/ |
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