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Abstract
What forestry needs in the Anthropogenic Era is what has been needed for the past 30 years. The proper methods, theory, and goals have been clear and are available; the failure has been, and continues to be, that our laws, policies, and actions are misdirected because we confuse a truly scientific base with nonscientific beliefs. The result is a confusion of folklore and science that is counterproductive, both for forests and for human needs and desires. Our love of forests gets confused with our attempts to understand them. In the practical world of incomplete knowledge, our management of forests needs to make use of what I call nature craftsmanship, the art of science and practice, a sort of General Practitioner’s approach to the use of medical research. We will not love forests less but like Thoreau, understanding the distinction, appreciate them more deeply. This paper explains what science, scientific concepts, measurements, and theory could be used, and discusses the deeper dilemma of our confusion of belief and knowledge.
Parent Publication
Citation
Botkin, Daniel B. 2014. Adapting forest science, practice, and policy to shifting ground: From steady-state assumptions to dynamic change. In: Sample, V. Alaric; Bixler, R. Patrick, eds. Forest conservation and management in the Anthropocene: Conference proceedings. Proceedings. RMRS-P-71. Fort Collins, CO: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 35-46.
