In recent years the number of actions and projects involving “ancient forests” or “ancient woodland” has greatly increased. (French National Forestry O ce exceptional forests scheme, WWF program for ancient forests, International Day of Forests, etc.). In ecological, economic and social terms, these forest spaces play numerous, diverse roles.
The definition of “ancient forests” varies not only from country to country but also according to disciplinary field. Working on “ancient forests” can involve separating “old-growth forests” from “ancient woodland”, forests that have disappeared and, in the case of “current forests”, those that are not actually very old! “Ancient woodland” or “old growth forests” are often considered as “current forests” of a certain age, but the appreciation of this antiquity depends on time based thresholds that in turn depend on, amongst other things, the sources available to help reconstruct their history.
The aim of this conference is to allow specialists and researchers from various cultures and different professional felds to meet and exchange views about the study of ancient forests. Foresters, planners, developers, ecologists, biologists, agriculturalists, geographers, historians, philosophers, ethnologists, cartographers, archaeologists, archaeobotanists, sociologists etc., from all backgrounds, are invited to join this debate about our various and varying concept of “ancient forests”.
Download the program into the woods
