An Exotic Tree in a Foreign Country: A Cultural Biography of the Lodgepole Pine in Sweden
The movement of plants, animals, and microorganisms by humans, consciously or unconsciously, has changed both ecosystems and societies throughout history. This article focuses on one such transformative species, lodgepole pine, and its relocation from northwestern America to northern Sweden in the m...
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White Horse Press
2023
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/096734023x16869924234822 https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/10.3197/096734023x16869924234822 |
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crwhitehorsepr:10.3197/096734023x16869924234822 2023-10-09T21:54:33+02:00 An Exotic Tree in a Foreign Country: A Cultural Biography of the Lodgepole Pine in Sweden Mårald, Erland Jönsson, Jimmy Kardell, Örjan Sjögren, Jörgen Tunlid, Anna 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/096734023x16869924234822 https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/10.3197/096734023x16869924234822 en eng White Horse Press Environment and History ISSN 0967-3407 Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) Environmental Science (miscellaneous) History Geography, Planning and Development journal-article 2023 crwhitehorsepr https://doi.org/10.3197/096734023x16869924234822 2023-09-12T23:51:28Z The movement of plants, animals, and microorganisms by humans, consciously or unconsciously, has changed both ecosystems and societies throughout history. This article focuses on one such transformative species, lodgepole pine, and its relocation from northwestern America to northern Sweden in the mid-twentieth century. A cultural biography of the lodgepole pine’s existence in Sweden examines how this tree has been linked to different value regimes, which creates a historical pattern. Through so-called ‘thinning processes’, powerful actors, in both production forestry and the environmental movement, have tried to reduce the importance of the species to a limited meaning and context. At the same time, more arguments, knowledge and changed contexts have made the lodgepole pine a ‘thick thing’, with superimposed values and meanings. Although the tree has moved far geographically, from one continent to another, its importance has continued to be framed by interacting international, national and local perspectives. The lodgepole pine, however, is not just an inert thing that is determined by cultural discourses. It is a living tree, with its own ability to act and whose life in a foreign land has created a dynamic that crosses the border between nature and culture. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northern Sweden White Horse Press Journals (via Crossref) Environment and History |
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White Horse Press Journals (via Crossref) |
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English |
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Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) Environmental Science (miscellaneous) History Geography, Planning and Development |
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Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) Environmental Science (miscellaneous) History Geography, Planning and Development Mårald, Erland Jönsson, Jimmy Kardell, Örjan Sjögren, Jörgen Tunlid, Anna An Exotic Tree in a Foreign Country: A Cultural Biography of the Lodgepole Pine in Sweden |
topic_facet |
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) Environmental Science (miscellaneous) History Geography, Planning and Development |
description |
The movement of plants, animals, and microorganisms by humans, consciously or unconsciously, has changed both ecosystems and societies throughout history. This article focuses on one such transformative species, lodgepole pine, and its relocation from northwestern America to northern Sweden in the mid-twentieth century. A cultural biography of the lodgepole pine’s existence in Sweden examines how this tree has been linked to different value regimes, which creates a historical pattern. Through so-called ‘thinning processes’, powerful actors, in both production forestry and the environmental movement, have tried to reduce the importance of the species to a limited meaning and context. At the same time, more arguments, knowledge and changed contexts have made the lodgepole pine a ‘thick thing’, with superimposed values and meanings. Although the tree has moved far geographically, from one continent to another, its importance has continued to be framed by interacting international, national and local perspectives. The lodgepole pine, however, is not just an inert thing that is determined by cultural discourses. It is a living tree, with its own ability to act and whose life in a foreign land has created a dynamic that crosses the border between nature and culture. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mårald, Erland Jönsson, Jimmy Kardell, Örjan Sjögren, Jörgen Tunlid, Anna |
author_facet |
Mårald, Erland Jönsson, Jimmy Kardell, Örjan Sjögren, Jörgen Tunlid, Anna |
author_sort |
Mårald, Erland |
title |
An Exotic Tree in a Foreign Country: A Cultural Biography of the Lodgepole Pine in Sweden |
title_short |
An Exotic Tree in a Foreign Country: A Cultural Biography of the Lodgepole Pine in Sweden |
title_full |
An Exotic Tree in a Foreign Country: A Cultural Biography of the Lodgepole Pine in Sweden |
title_fullStr |
An Exotic Tree in a Foreign Country: A Cultural Biography of the Lodgepole Pine in Sweden |
title_full_unstemmed |
An Exotic Tree in a Foreign Country: A Cultural Biography of the Lodgepole Pine in Sweden |
title_sort |
exotic tree in a foreign country: a cultural biography of the lodgepole pine in sweden |
publisher |
White Horse Press |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/096734023x16869924234822 https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/10.3197/096734023x16869924234822 |
genre |
Northern Sweden |
genre_facet |
Northern Sweden |
op_source |
Environment and History ISSN 0967-3407 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3197/096734023x16869924234822 |
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Environment and History |
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1779318149471010816 |