Abstract
At the mid-twentieth century the pace of the transformation of the Swedish forest increased. New methods; large-scale clearcutting, mechanization of logging and planting of seedlings were developed. Chemicals were used to control insects and unwanted tree species. The aims of this study were to elucidate the timing, chain of events and the spatial extent of the large-scale spraying of phenoxy acids in Swedish forests and the drivers for this practice. More than 700 000 hectares of productive forest land was sprayed and the main driving force was a strong will to transform the forest into high-yield coniferous forest plantations. We conclude that; (1) the use of herbicides in forestry in Sweden was done on a very large scale in the period 1948–1984, (2) the ecosystem legacy of herbicide spraying must be investigated and (3) a homogenous cadre of like-minded professionals working across commercial companies, state agencies and universities is dangerous.
Highlights
During the last 200 years, forest resources from the periphery have successively been drawn into the rapidly growing economies of Western Europe (Williams 1992; Pollard 1997)
The study that we present here is broad narrative of a very dramatic period in Swedish forest history
We believe that different methods and sources should be used to convey such a story, which includes forest ecosystems, forest management actions and peoples relation to nature from different viewpoints
Summary
The aims of this study were to elucidate the timing, chain of events and the spatial extent of the largescale spraying of phenoxy acids in Swedish forests and the drivers for this practice
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