Why did forestry start?

Answer 1

To enhance and encourage hunting, and agriculture. The New Forest in England was started by the Norman invaders in the 11th century to provide a habitat for deer which they alone were permitted to hunt, for example.

The people they had conquered, the Anglo-Saxons, cleared forest to provide clearings in which to keep livestock, grow barley, or leave fallow in what was known as the three-field system. They also used forestry techniques such as pollarding to provide building materials, Fencing for keeping livestock together.

The Celts and ancient Britons had cleared forest selectively to allow large cattle herds to roam the hills.

It is now known that slash and burn techniques were the first forms of crude forestry, that created deserts, heath, moorland, or, in the Amazon 'terra preita' or fertile earth, variously, according to subsequent effects.

Answer 2

Forestry began as a way to manage and utilize forests sustainably for timber and other resources. Over time, it developed to include conservation principles, biodiversity protection, and ecosystem management to ensure the long-term health and productivity of forests.