Culturally modified trees or wasted timber: Different approaches to marked trees in Poland’s Białowieża Forest

Research in Poland’s Białowieża Forest reveals that culturally modified trees (CMTs), once created through traditional forest use, were later viewed as wasted timber by 19th-century forest administrators. The study identified two types of CMTs—pine trees scorched and chopped or carved for beehives, and lime-trees with peeled bark—both considered harmful to 'rational forestry.' Archival surveys and fieldwork in Białowieża National Park showed that these practices were banned, leading to the gradual removal of such trees. This historical insight challenges anecdotal knowledge and provides a basis for informed conservation and management decisions, bridging traditional and modern forestry approaches.

Samojlik, T., Fedotova, A., Niechoda, T., & Rotherham, I. D. (2019). Culturally modified trees or wasted timber: Different approaches to marked trees in Poland’s Białowieża Forest. Plos One, 14(1), e0211025. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211025