Regretting Reforestation
Discourses of Landscape and Culture Change in Mountain‐Farming Norway
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8135366 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Wroblewski (0009-0003-2093-7992, Grand Valley State University, corresponding author), Thea R Strand (Loyola University Chicago) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-21 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Culture Agriculture Food and Environment (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2153-9553 • E-ISSN: 2153-9561 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/cuag.70013 |
| OpenAlex | W7125280541 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 24 |
The rural district of Valdres in central Norway is home to one of the largest intact transhumant farming zones in Europe. The low‐mountain stølslandskap , or “summer mountain farming landscape,” a singular, sub‐polar socionature, is undergoing significant economic and environmental transition. As transhumant farming decreases and anthropogenic climate change progresses, the culturally treasured stølslandskap is becoming reforested and effectively disappearing. In a local reversal of global environmentalist logic, Valdres residents see this forest regeneration as a highly regrettable loss. Many believe forest regrowth is a cultural problem that should be staved off with increased, but deliberately small‐scale, human and agricultural activity to restore the stølslandskap to its traditional state. Drawing on long‐term ethnographic research among transhumant farmers in Valdres, we highlight the need to attend to local interpretations of ecologies and landscapes to develop viable environmental policies and stewardship strategies
Agriculture · Climate change · Culture change · Deforestation (computer science · Environmental change · Environmental stewardship · Ethnography · Rainforest · Stewardship (theology · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Indigenous Studies and Ecology · Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |