Chapter 4. The Changing Status of Birch Trees in Finnish Forests from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century

This chapter illuminates the changing status of the birch tree, how the Finns have perceived it, and what have Finnish standards of environmental literacy have been from the seventeenth century to the twentieth century.

This chapter illuminates the changing status of the birch tree, how the Finns have perceived it, and what have Finnish standards of environmental literacy have been from the seventeenth century to the twentieth century. This period covers both pre-industrial and industrial socio-economic changes, from the ancient hunters and slash-and-burn cultivators to modern architecture, art and wood processing industries. Finland’s forests are relatively the largest in Europe: 86 % of the country’s surface is covered with the woods. The three most common tree species are pine, spruce and birch. The value of pine and spruce grew significantly when the wood processing industry began to use wood fibres in production, while birch has had its ups and downs which makes it an interesting tree to study.