We're Not So Different Medieval Land Mgmt 5: A Coppicing We Will Go
Mar 11, 2026
A lively dive into medieval forestry, from coppicing techniques and stump regrowth to why so much land was devoted to firewood and charcoal. Tales of beavers as ecosystem engineers and curious medieval beliefs about castoreum pop up. The episode also covers controlled burns, global fire traditions, and an intensive study of coppice management in Moravia.
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Beavers As Intentional Ecosystem Engineers
- Beavers act as intentional ecosystem engineers that create ponds, raise water tables, reduce drought impact, and boost biodiversity.
- Luke Waters describes beavers building dams, canals, coppicing trees, and even uprooting to relocate, producing measurable hydrological and ecological benefits.
Wood Access Was A Survival Right For Peasants
- Medieval commoners relied on forest access for subsistence, so restricting coppicing or wood gathering was socially and politically fraught.
- Luke Waters references Karl Marx's 1842 reaction to laws criminalizing coppice wood collection as prioritizing property over survival.
Medieval Forests Were Working Landscapes
- Medieval forests were working landscapes providing firewood, mushrooms, small-game hunting, hawking, and pasturage rather than pristine wilderness.
- Eleanor Janaga explains forests were essential resource zones where peasants collected fuel and food and used hawks for hunting in confined woodlands.