The intertwinedness of forest and cultural landscapes in the context of cultural ecology

Abstract

Today, cultural landscape and aspects of it are frequent topics of cultural and landscape ecologies. To be fulfilled and delineated, the cultural landscape and its various meanings quite logically attract their opposite – wilderness and nature. At the same time, terms such as wilderness and nature should also be defined to make sure they are understood in the context of the regeneration and purification of human culture, and their hypertrophied elements. As a representative of nature and the text, which is only comprehensible through inner and not exterior experience, the forest stimulates feelings in relation to the purpose of human existence, and is not much dependant on culture and its peaks, downfalls, and degenerations. The aesthetic value of the forest is also neglected. In his “Forstästhetik”, based on philosophy and aesthetics, Heinrich von Salisch elaborated upon the aesthetics of the forest in detail and introducted new perspectives on forestry and landscape ecology.